On&on
by y8ay8a
Summary: It started with a ten foot billboard, it followed with Hatsune Miku and Megurine Luka working together, and it became so much more than they ever had thought it could be. Yuri/rated M for explicit scenes in the later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, etc.**

**Additional note: I haven't written in… three years, I believe. Maybe four. I've also published this without anyone beta-reading it, so if anyone's interested, please step forward. ;_・**  
** I decided to write because it has been a while since I loved a pairing that much. I managed to go through all the pictures about them I could find on danbooru/pixiv, all the songs I could find of them (as a pairing/duet) on niconico, all the fanfictions here and elsewhere… there's nothing left to feed my need of Miku/Luka. So here I am. Hope this does somewhat feed someone else's hunger for them OTL**

** - **

The seventeen year old was at that age when you feel you don't grow up fast enough; she was quite tired of being still thought of as a child. That's why when the particular song "Romeo to Cinderella" was submitted to her, she immediately accepted. She had loved the melody and sure the lyrics were quite implicit, but she thought it would be a change from her usual cute songs. This song definitely would bring her into a new light to her fan's eyes, and maybe, just maybe, make her appear a bit more of a woman. She had recorded the song in but a few takes, loving the beat and lyrics had her master it in no time.

But now, now was when she hit a wall. At this particular moment, Miku regretted not thinking much further when she accepted the project. Her manager sat in front of her with the promotional shoot plan, and she weren't too happy about it. She was to pose not only in an almost naked, quite a disheveled state, but also in front of a _royal_ _blue_ background, on a bed clad in _royal_ _blue_ sheets, wearing _royal_ _blue_ lingerie, licking on some Popsicle at that.  
She understood why. The fans had gone _wild_ over her duet with Kaito, her agency's very popular pretty boy pop star, and this royal blue happened to be his trademark color. Obviously, her producers wanted take advantage as they could of how the fans loved the idea of him as her boyfriend to fuel the sales of this new single.  
Miku had tolerated the hype and the fans shipping them together, she knew this was part of the deal when she had signed up for fame. She had accepted to play along and evade questions, let people think what they will, instead of denying a relationship. But she was absolutely not ready to make such an explicit, sexual statement concerning him, or any particular man for that matter.

"No. No I won't." She crossed her arms, her teal eyes staring quite hard at her manager. "No!" She threw her answer for the millionth time.

"Hatsune, you know what the song is about!" He countered. "You're the one who asked for something other than the cute songs, and you have to follow through." His answer was firm, and he held her stare without wavering. "Romeo to Cinderella _requires_ that type of promotional photos, you know it."

"… Fine, fine, I'll do it." She sighed, finally giving in. "But only if this isn't themed in blue." She added her condition. There was no way this too was necessary, and she absolutely did not want to push it that far with Kaito.

"Fine, I understand." The small man scratched something off in his notebook. "How about in purple?" He feigned innocence, suggesting another popular male's trademark color.

Why did the bald man insist on suggesting another color than her trademark teal? This was ridiculous!  
"How about in _pink_?" Miku growled her retort, in a very much sarcastic tone.

There was a moment of silence, in which Miku thought she had made her point. But…  
"…Genious" He answered, readjusting his big, square glasses, oblivious to the cynicism. "I had no idea you had it in you to play _that_ game." He added, his nostrils flaring rapidly with his slightly accelerated breath. "Fans will L.O.V.E your spicy idea."

Miku blushed a very, very deep crimson. She hadn't meant… "…I-I… wait, that was just… I mean.." She started blabbering, forming a coherent sentence as her vaguely cold irritation turned into burning hot embarrassment proved to be quite a feat. "I-I-I don't think Megurine-s-san would… err… you know… she'd be… embarrassed?"

"Don't worry about that!" He jovially countered, patting her shoulder with his hand. "I know for a fact Megurine has wanted to work with you for a while, this will set the stage for it!" He laughed a bit too enthusiastically.

"S-set the stage…?" Miku's blank expression didn't reflect how fast the wheels were turning in her head. If he meant to set the stage with something like this, his follow-through surely would be something very... "W-wait I-I… I don't think this is a good idea at all…" She tried to step back, but it was apparently too late, as the small man scribbled wildly in his notebook. In a flash, he had flipped on his cellphone, giving out new instructions.  
Miku could see it coming from a mile away, like it was a thirty foot, red neon sign. She mentally apologized to her co-star Megurine Luka, for what their fanatical manager had now set his mind to plan for them.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

As Miku walked home with groceries packed in recyclable bags she and her roommate carried with no real effort, said redhead roommate dropped her bags as a giant placard came into view. Yesterday at that same hour, it had been a car advertisement. It was presently replaced with Miku's next single's promotional poster. The suggestive, pink-themed ,"Romeo to Cinderella" add.

"Holy crap." Miki blurted, turning to her friend immediately.  
Miku's expression reflected hers, with her mouth hanging open and her cheeks reddened quite a few shades. She even had dropped her bags as Miki had. Miku didn't expect the shoot to turn out that provocative, and she surely did not expect to have to look at a ten foot version of it on her way home every day.

"When you told me about this shoot, I honestly thought you were blowing things out of proportion, but wow. Wow, you were right." Miki whistled in amazement.

Miku stared at the ten foot billboard that showcased her exposing too much of her skin.

"I hope this doesn't stain your reputation, man." The redhead added, staring with the other girl.

Miku stared at the ten foot billboard that showcased her exposing too much of her skin.  
How overwhelmingly very pink it was.  
After a moment, Miki patted Miku's back with sympathy, picked her share of the groceries bags and went on her way to their apartment. She would leave Miku to stare as long as she wanted.  
And staring she did, the ten foot billboard showcased her exposing way too much of her skin.  
She had never seen herself with anything other than overwhelming teal.  
It took another moment for her to pick up the remaining bags and trot home. She wouldn't hear the end of this at school. And with what her manager had said, this was just the start too.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Miku, what the HELL?" Rin dropped a magazine on the older girl's desk. The magazine was opened at a specific add page, that featured the person on who's desk it was dropped on.

"That's what I thought when I saw it too. I had no idea it would turn.. _that_ bad." Miku closed the magazine, unable to stare at her own suggestive expression. "Don't make it worse on me Rin-chan, I already have it bad enough with everyone else. The girls in my class seem really uncomfortable… and the guys won't look at me, those who do, the look in their eyes makes me shiver." She looked up at her younger friend, then at the girl's twin. The younger boy wouldn't look at her straight in the eye, embarrassed as he was.

"Plus, there's a ten-foot version of it we have to look at on our way home." Miki added, balancing her chair on the two back legs. She stopped to turn around fully and pat Miku's head when said girl started banging her head on her desk. The redhead was not only Miku's roommate, but also a classmate. She also happened to be seated just in front of Miku.

"Don't worry, Miku-chan, people will get over it quickly. How are the sales doing?" Gumi came in right when Miku had started banging her head on her desk. It had grown into a habit for their three friends to join Miku and Miki during class break.

"Outstanding." The teal-haired young woman groaned, her head now resting on the magazine Miki had slipped between her and her desk so she wouldn't hurt herself.

"I've been meaning to ask though…" The short-haired girl continued in a questioning voice. "Why pink? Because you know… Pink makes everyone think of…"

"Please." Miku raised her head to look at Gumi, who's expression was as questioning as her voice had been. "Please, let this slip. Things got out of my control real fast." She decided not to mention how she had provoked this.  
Before anything else could be said, the bell rang, signaling class starting. The twins took off to their class room, and Gumi being a year older, also left in a hurry.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Her latest single had been flying off the shelves for a little more than three weeks, people had finally quieted down about the suggestive Romeo to Cinderella; and so Miku knew it was time for her to start preparing her next song. This was why she wasn't surprised in the slightest when she had received a message from her dear manager, summoning her to his office. And there she was, standing in front of said office's door, hoping he would have forgotten what she knew he would absolutely not forget. Really hoping he had forgotten he had said something about 'setting the stage' and working with Megurine Luka. Oh, she would be delighted to work with her co-star in any other circumstances, but his ideas scared the crap out of her. She breathed a sigh and turned the doorknob to let herself in.  
Indeed, he had not forgotten. Sitting in front of him, in one of the two chairs facing this little devil, was a woman with very distinctive pink hair. She didn't need to turn to face Miku for the young woman to know who this was, but still, she did turn. Her radiance was so much more overwhelming in person than in picture, it left Miku was dumbstruck. That is, until Megurine Luka finally moved again, rising up to salute her.  
Miku backed a shivering step. "I'm sorry!" She threw her apology before any greetings were exchanged. "I knew it was a bad idea, I'm sorry I let happen, I should've fought for it to be teal, and I-"

"Wait, wait…" Luka cut in, laughing slightly. "I don't own the color pink, don't make such a fuss about it…"

"But with the Vocaloid industry the way it is now, fans think of you right away, and… used in that way… suggests…. " Miku trailed off, seeing the woman was still smiling at her. "You're not mad." She simply stated, cutting her explanations short.

"I'm not." Luka confirmed. "Of course I'm not." She motioned for Miku to come and sit in the chair next to her, in front of their at-the-moment-too-silent-manager.  
The teal haired young woman did so.

"Fans understand this is nothing but a game the industry plays, Hatsune." Now-not-silent-anymore-evil-manager began. "But they still love every bit we feed them, it gives them something to rant about, dream about, be passionate about… they know this is not really your personal life. That's why they still love you after indecent songs like your last one." He said it in such a casual way, it made her ashamed.  
"This is why you shouldn't be worried about our next project, it won't be taken seriously. It'll just make some dreamers… dream." His smile grew, and she knew what he was on about. She had known the moment he took her word seriously about being almost naked in a pink theme. Miku was also sure Megurine Luka had her doubts about it, and this was what puzzled her the most. Why was the other woman peacefully sitting next to her, with such a pleasant smile on her perfectly shaped lips?  
Wait, what?  
Miku's thought were brought to a halt when the small man finally said it.  
"You'll sing your first duet together to be a desperate love song between the two of you." His nostrils were flaring again under the excitement.  
Megurine Luka was calm as ever.

Miku wanted desperately to understand the absurdity.  
"Megurine-san! You're… why are you going along with this?" She pleaded for a logic explanation.

The older woman crossed her legs and smiled warmly at her. "…Love songs are my favorite." She simply answered. But seeing Miku unsatisfied with her answer, she continued. "I have to admit… This is the chance I had longed for ever since I started here. I wanted to sing with _you_ the most, Hatsune-san. I think our voices would sound extraordinary together." She truthfully elaborated. "I'm tired of people seeing us as rivals when we hadn't even _met_. I'm sure if we offer a love song, fans will at last stop setting us up against each other."  
Luka leaned forwards slightly as she finished. "And to top everything, I see it as a good opportunity to rid myself of a certain purple-haired wolf who doesn't seem to understand that, as Watanabe-san just said, all our set up is just for show."

Miku understood all the reasons the other woman had given her, and as she could relate to every single one of them, she could only nod in response. Love songs were also of her favorites, she had also wanted very badly to get to sing with the other woman, she also thought their voices would sound fantastic, she also hated the rivalry the fans had created between them. And even if hers was a blue-haired puppy, she really did want him to understand she wasn't in for more than _for show_.  
That she would agree with anything the other diva said in that beautiful voice of hers didn't weight on her agreeing, not this time around.

"So it's settled!" The too excited small man bounced up. "I'll commission the song right away!" He flipped his cellphone on, but was quickly halted by the pink-haired woman.

"Watanabe-san, if you don't mind, I usually write my own lyrics. Moreover, since I feel my first duet with Hatsune-san is something very special, it would mean a lot to me if you would let me personally work on it." She explained, her eyes pleading.

Man or woman, no one would have resisted the look she was giving, and their manager nodded. "Good idea! It'll make it even more appealing and unique to your fans! And Hatsune will get the opportunity to learn how to write lyrics. I entrust her to you, Megurine-san." He nodded again and again, whether to himself or to the woman was a mystery. "What about the melody?"

"I… can pull a basic melody at the piano, but nothing near a complete work…" Luka answered honestly.

Miku was still impressed with her senior, she personally had never done anything but pick among the songs producers submitted to her manager. She listened as the two of them wrapped things up and agreed on a producer to write the song arrangements around the lyrics and melody Miku and Luka would come up with.  
This might turn out to be a really good experience, she thought.  
To top it off, she would _finally_ get to know this diva she had hoped to meet.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

It was twenty minutes later when they both exited their manager's office. Everything about the taller woman seemed to entrance Miku. She never thought she really _would _be so tall in person. She never thought her skin would look so perfect, or that her hair would look so soft, or that Megurine Luka's eyes were her exact favorite vibrant teal. She wondered how she had never noticed that.

"We should spend time to get to know one another, if we want to come up with something heartfelt." The taller woman suggested, unlocking her iphone. "Would you kindly give me your number or e-mail address, so we can arrange meetings?"

Meeting up with Megurine Luka, all alone, the two of them. "Dates?" Miku blurted as an answer.

"…We could say that." The woman laughed. "We might as well play the game, it might inspire us." She proposed, going along with it.

Miku wasn't so sure she would have 'played the game' had it been anyone else suggesting it. But her heart leapt at the suggestion coming from this particular woman and she found herself enthusiastically nodding at her. "I never wrote song lyrics, I'll really need all the inspiration I can get."  
She said it before realizing how much of an innuendo the last part of her sentence entailed. Miku wanted nothing more than to disappear underground when she noticed Luka's cheeks redden ever so slightly. Miku also decided not to ask herself why she had noticed such an almost imperceptible change in the other woman.

"Oh my." Luka brought her hand to her own cheek. "I had no idea you were so… …_willing_." She stressed the last word, pretending indignation.

Miku was at loss. "N-no! I- … please d-don't think I..! Megurine-san, I'm not… I…" She didn't want Megurine Luka to be repulsed by her, _especially_ when it wasn't even what she had meant to suggest! Tears welled up in Miku's eyes against her will and she hated it. She didn't want to appear weak, useless or childish, not when she had wanted to meet the other woman for so long. Not when she had the incredible opportunity to make friends with her!

Luka's indignant façade fell as soon as Miku started to panic. She took out tissues and offered her some, apologetic. "I'm sorry, Hatsune-san, I hadn't meant to scare you… or be mean to you." Miku didn't take a tissue, still staggered. "I know very well what you meant, and I only meant to play... " Luka tried again, as she decided to pull out one and dry the girl's eyes herself.  
She wiped them gently and with the tip of her fingers, she then pushed aside a few strands of teal hair out of her eyes. Her fingers brushed against Miku's cheek.

The moment seemed to last much longer than it actually had. Miku had known before she had actually touched her, how gentle Megurine Luka's touch would be. Somewhere deep down, Miku had known much before she had actually touched her that if she ever did, something would forever change. Her heart beat so fast.

The moment seemed to last much longer than it actually had. Luka had known before she had actually met her that her life would change if she ever were to meet Hatsune Miku. Luka had known from the very first picture she had seen of her that if she were to meet her, she'd find something she had been missing forever. Her heart felt whole.

- **continued in ch.2**

**That's all folks, I should tune in for more in... a short while. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow, you guys had me fired up; I think I had forgotten how good reviews felt. 8D ****...So I decided to obey the order a certain major gave me and get on with it ASAP. ;D  
A certain other review made me realize that I happened to love very much characters that have little to no visibility in the Anglophone Vocaloid community. Therefore, I decided to put together a little something that might help some of you seize two characters I plan on using a lot, Miki (as you may have noticed already) and Lily (she'll show up in this chapter).  
Here's a mediafire link, it contains a small selection of pictures of these two characters. I also decided to add some information on the Japanese vocaloids separated by the company that produces them, just for the record :)  
(just remove the spaces)  
**www . mediafire . com /?5zv8eox6enj8n46

Miku sat cross-legged on the two-person sofa in their small living room, the TV that had been on mute for almost fifteen minutes now played meaningless commercials. They looked really peculiar without any music or sound, the teal-haired young woman noted. She had finally finished recounting her day to her roommate, leaving out every aspect of how attractive she had thought Megurine Luka to be.

Miki, lying on her stomach on the floor, was looking up at her. Her bowl of cherries was almost empty, she had been slowly eating them, listening to her best friend.  
"She was fine with it?" was, for the time being, her only answer. Miki swallowed another cherry, munching on it until it there was only the pit left. As Miku simply nodded, she continued.  
"Ah. Well, I don't think it'll be a problem, I mean, if you're both fine with it and manager-kun says the fans won't take it too seriously, I don't see why not? And even if they do take it seriously, both of you know there's nothing really going on and everyone'll move on quickly once the hype's over. Like Romeo to Cinderella."  
The redhead ate another cherry, seemingly thinking.  
"And you know… even if something does end up happening… whatever, it'll happen! It's your life after all, isn't it? If you end up wanting to try it, why shouldn't you? Moreover, she's a gorgeous woman, isn't she? It's a chance! Once she was drinking with Mei-nee, I heard Lily talk about-.."

Miku loved Miki for three main reasons.  
First, how much of an accepting, caring, positive personality she had; Miki never seemed to judge anything about anyone. She always encouraged her, even when it came to be something like Romeo to Cinderella, or… pretending to be in a relationship with another woman.  
Second, it amazed Miku how much of the other girl's endless blabbering ended up being right on the spot. May it be what Miku needed to hear to be reassured about this or that, what Miku had been thinking but didn't dare say, or what Miku didn't seem to even dare think. Miku knew Miki was just talking and blabbering at the moment, that she wasn't thinking the teal-haired girl seriously thought of 'trying it' as she put it. But she loved that Miki made it ok for things like that to be talked about, that she made her feel she _would_ stick by her side no matter what.  
Third, even if Miku was just slightly taller, their body shape was almost identical; they could borrow clothes and shoes whenever they felt like it. But this specific point had nothing to do with their present conversation. (But it did count still.)

"…, you wouldn't have to come out to the press since the song would actually have done it for you! Anyways I don't really care who you marry, as long as I'm the bride's maid." Miki finished whatever she had started saying with a bizarre conclusion, and Miku realized she had lost some part of the conversation.

"What." Miku couldn't come up with another answer.

Miki puffed her cheeks slightly and sat up. "I said-"

"No wait, never mind." She cut in, thinking she would only be embarrassed and most likely regret it if she were to actually listen to the part she had missed. "You'll be my bride's maid, don't worry." She muttered, wondering how things had gotten to that.

"I love you!" Miki beamed, bouncing up to tackle her friend on the sofa.

The other girl managed to protect herself before the orange blur landed on her, and it wasn't too uncomfortable when she did. She had long learned to catch the energetic craze-ball before she hurt both of them. "But I'm not getting married anytime soon, you know?" Miku added, now trying to pry her off her.

"I don't care!" She was still beaming like an idiot, her cheek stuck to her friend's like it had been glued there.

Miku chuckled, giving up on removing her until she had had her share. She patted the orange hair, flattening temporarily the strange exclamation-point lock protruding out of it, and turned the sound back on the TV. Luka's biggest hit yet 'Just be Friends' was on, and she wouldn't miss hearing the pink haired diva's voice. She had always watched that promotional video with extreme attention, and this time wasn't any different.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The first time they had arranged to meet, they had agreed on diner; mainly because it would allow them to talk and get to know each other. Two hours left before the meeting time, Miku was freshly out of the shower, her hair was conscientiously blow-dried and she was now confronted with the ultimate question a girl asks herself before a date.

"What should I wear?"  
Miku ran from her room to Miki's closet, searching both their clothes, shoes and accessories.

"Well, where are you eating? Fancy restaurant or fast food?" She was lying on her back and looking at her friend upside down, head hanging from her bed. She had paused her game, having been playing _Puyo Puyo Fever_ on her Nintendo DS.

"Neither. It's just a… good restaurant. I looked it up to make sure." Miku stopped her digging to look back at her roommate a moment. She then picked out one of Miki's dresses and put it to her body, looking at herself. "It's… nothing too fancy."

Miki found it incredibly amusing to see the other girl run around frantically. It didn't occur to her to question why Miku was making such a deal about meeting up with Megurine Luka, when she hadn't blinked an eye about her princess-prince photo shoot with Kaito. "Anyways, you should wear white. You always look good in white. That's why I want to be your bride's maid." She powered off her DS lite and set it on her night table.

Miku had bent and was now rummaging through her shoes. "…What are you on about? Can't you get your ass over here and help me pick something?" She groaned, throwing a shoe in her general direction.

The redhead dodged and rolled up; she headed for Miku's room and was back in less than a minute with a cute white dress. "This." She extended the piece of clothing in her friend's direction and waited. Said friend didn't take said piece of clothing because said friend stayed crouched in a closet that wasn't hers, looking at the shoes.  
Miki then decided Miku would surely look at it when she'd come out of her stupor, so she rested the dress on Miku's head, letting it hang down her back, and headed to the kitchen to order herself something to eat.

Miku let the dress hang on her head down her back until she chose cute flats from Miki's selection. She knew which dress Miki had picked because she only had one white one-piece, and she knew the flats would look terrific with it. She proceeded to change from her shorts and camisole to her newly picked outfit, then went to her room to dispose of her indoor uniform. She also picked a cute teal butterfly necklace, thigh-high stockings and other accessories. After she did her hair up, applied some light make-up, she showed herself in the kitchen.

"You look real pretty." Miki smiled, raising her head from the pizza menu. The girl couldn't cook to save her life, so if Miku went out, this was about her only option. "Go get her, tiger." She added, now grinning.

"…" Miku crossed her arms, glaring slightly.

"Well you _are_ pretending to date, aren't you?" Miki reached for the phone, composing while her eyes were still on the menu. "Ah!" She hung up before the phone rang, having clumsily composed a wrong number.

"It's not… like that. Not really." She sighed, looking down at what she was wearing. She really did look like she was seriously going on a date; she still hoped Luka would find it nice. "I need to go, I don't want to be late." She grabbed her purse and headed to the door, putting on her shoes only before she exited. "Bye Miki!" She threw from there.

"Byyyyyyeeee! Have a nice evening!" She heard the answer come from the kitchen.

"I will!" She answered as loudly and walked out, locked the door and trotted in the subway's direction.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The first thing Miku noticed when she saw her was that Luka had also made an effort to dress nice. How could she _not_ notice, the woman looked downright stunning! ... Not that she didn't usually, but this was just… something else. The black dress she wore contrasted Miku's white one, and it stopping just above the knee let the world see what killer legs she had. To top it off, the pink pumps she wore made them look even longer, and Miku could barely look elsewhere as she caught up with her. _Barely_ because now, as she was standing in front of her, Miku's gaze had shifted from her legs to her chest. The sweetheart neckline of the black dress showcased her quite ample bosom a little too well, and this time, Miku wondered just why she was _so_ aware.  
Oh, she was absolutely convinced anyone would notice! What made her doubt was why she wasn't simply noticing instead of being unable to look away the way she was.

"Hatsune-san. How are you?" The amused sound of her voice really pulled her out of her daze. Miku didn't know where to look, she wondered if Luka had noticed her staring.

"F-fine!" Her gaze shot up to meet the other woman's, and her heart leapt again. Luka's eyes really were her very favorite color. "And you, Megurine-san? How are you?" She returned the question, observing her features. Miku couldn't help but be fascinated with the beautiful turquoise of her eyes.

"Very good, thank you. But… please, call me Luka. If we are to get comfortable with one another, we need to start by calling each other by our first name, don't we?" She looked right back in the younger girl's eyes, a small smile dancing on her lips.

"I agree! Please call me Miku." She quickly felt at ease with the older woman. Miku glanced at her watch. "You're early, Luka-san." She liked calling her by her first name, she concluded immediately.

"So are you." Luka countered. She looked her over, seemingly seizing her. "You look really pretty."

"So do you. You're gorgeous." Miku was glad she was able to tell her. Because she really, really, really had wanted to tell her, but she had had no idea if it would be appropriate or not.

Luka's smile grew into a full one. "… I have to admit I was slightly excited about our date."

"…" She had no idea if the woman was mocking her or if she was being serious. Luka had an impenetrable air of mystery about her and, given, it was one of the many things Miku found oh so attractive about her, but-  
She halted her thinking. This was getting quite weird.

Seeing how confused the short young woman looked, Luka continued. Her expression remained still an impenetrable, unchanging smile. "A date with the immensely popular Hatsune Miku… who wouldn't be excited?"

Miku scrunched her nose cutely. "Don't give me that… you seem to get all the attention lately…"  
It was true. Everyone seemed to have noticed Megurine Luka since the release of her hit single _'Luka Luka Night Fever'_. Then, one after the other she released songs that had her gain more and more popularity: Palette, Tower, and not to mention the newly released Just be Friends.

Luka shook her head slightly, laughing. "Oh but your Romeo to Cinderella was a massive hit… It's all over the place; I even saw a ten-foot billboard of it."

Miku wanted to die.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The food ordered, they were sitting tête-à-tête in what turned out to be quite a nice restaurant. Miku was very aware people looked at them. Neither she nor Luka had made an effort to disguise who they were, and she knew it was just a matter of time before someone came up to them to ask whether they really were who they were or to get an autograph. The pink haired woman, on the other hand, didn't seem bothered one bit by the looks they got.

She laughed at how Miku nervously looked around. "Maybe rumors will start flying already."

She shook her head slightly. If Miku saw two women dinning together, she wouldn't think something like that.  
"I don't think so, two people going out for dinner doesn't mean they're dating…" She decided not to reflect on why Luka, on the other hand, would come to this conclusion.

"True, but… from the way we're dressed, don't you think one would come to understand that?" Her eyes, which Miku could only look away from to glance at her décolleté, sparkled.

The young woman blushed slightly. Ah, yes, she had forgotten.  
Luka was right, one might think that. But that was what they wanted, wasn't it? They had decided to see each other and _pretend_. "…I… suppose so. Well… at the very least we'll stop hearing non-sense about some rivalry." She smiled. "And… and if people do start gossiping about… it means we're playing it right, doesn't it…? W-we did decide to act as if..." She trailed off, truly unable to say it.

"Yes, we did." She simply answered as she reached for Miku's hand, entwining her fingers with hers.

A shiver overcame her when she felt the long, delicate fingers touch hers. Luka's skin was so soft and Miku was immediately reminded of how gently she had touched her cheek a few days ago. She looked down, blushing even more. She watched their hands joined, and her embarrassment was replaced by light surprise. "Oh, our nail polish matches…" She observed the tip of their fingers. "It's the exact same color…"

Luka raised her eyebrows slightly, her attention now also on the cute color. "My, you're right…"

"I'm surprised you don't wear pink…" Miku commented, looking up at her.

Luka met her gaze. "I wear turquoise to match my eyes, I find this color to be… livelier. Don't you wear it for the same reason?"  
Any shade of blue made for a fresh feeling, while pink, as much as she loved the color, looked very soft.

She shook her head no. "It's my favorite color… and it just happens to match the rest…" Miku motioned to how monochrome her hair and eyes were. "….It's a bit predictable, isn't it?" She sighed. She decided to take the opportunity to compliment her again. "…But, it justifies for something really cliché I'm about to say… I love your eyes." She sheepishly looked at her. Miku liked that she had opportunities to compliment her and that it didn't sound too much like she was coming on to her.

"Thank you." She batted her eyelashes. "I can understand why."

"Sorry." She looked back at their entwined fingers. Miku enjoyed holding her hand, she realized, she hoped she would be able to do so again on other occasions.

"Don't be" Luka laughed. "No matter the cause, the outcome is the same… I'm very pleased and flattered." The smile she offered the teal haired young woman was incredibly charming and it threw her off balance.

"N-Now _you_ tell me something… What else do you like besides love songs…?" Despite being embarrassed quite often, she felt really light-hearted with her. She found their conversation to flow naturally and was happy there were no awkward silences.

"Let's see…" She started to think, but something came to her very quickly. "I love your necklace." Luka smiled fondly, pointing at it. "I always notice butterflies, I love them." She added in a much, much softer voice. As she said this, as the tone of her voice changed, her whole expression followed, reflecting such gentleness.

With such a casual statement, in any other case, Miku would simply have approved, saying 'They're cute' or 'Yes, they're pretty'. However, this whole new air about Luka compelled to inquire further. "Why so?"

Her expression remained even, her eyes fixed on the teal necklace. "They're beautifully colorful and I… happen to love the feminine delicateness they comprise. But… but above all, I think I love how terribly tragic they are." She didn't need to think her answer, it was very spontaneous.

Miku raised her eyebrows quite high, she didn't expect such an answer. "Tragic? Because they mean death?"

"They don't mean death per se; they represent the human soul, whether living or dead. That's why we indeed often see poetic representations of butterflies leaving a dead body." She shook her head slightly. "But no, the 'tragic' part of why I love them so much is that… if you read traditional poetry, you'll see they have long been a symbol for star-crossed lovers."

"They have?" The teal haired young woman was intrigued; she thought she could remember seeing or hearing something of that sort. She couldn't accurately place where, but since Luka had mentioned traditional poetry, it probably had been during class.

Luka's eyes were gleaming with tenderness. "Lovers, just like the wings of a butterfly, are a whole only when the matching halves are joined. If the symmetry was ever undone, if they were to be pulled apart... they wither away and die." She explained.

There was a short silence in which Miku assimilated what had just been said. She could feel her heart pound in her chest, and she couldn't keep herself from smiling. "You're a romantic."

"Sue me." Luka grinned, resting her head in her hand.

Miku noticed Luka's other hand was still in hers, and as the waiter came with their food, she wondered how they looked to him. She wondered if they looked enough of an item, as Luka had suggested, for rumors to start spreading. She surprised herself thinking she didn't care if they did. And that it had nothing to do with the fact that it was somewhat what they wanted people to think. The woman sitting in front of her was wonderful, charming, beautiful; she felt blessed it was with her she was to play this game.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Luka's hand released hers so she could pull her in, to holding her close. Her height allowed Miku to rest her head on her shoulder, and as she nuzzled against her neck, Miku could barely breathe. She was completely overwhelmed with th-

"You look like you're on cloud seven." Lily pointed at her with her index a second, before picking up a chopped pepper with the same hand and bringing it to her mouth.  
She squatted their kitchen, waiting for dinner to be ready.

"W-what?" Miku blushed very deeply, being suddenly brought back to earth. She turned from her pots a moment to glance at her, feeling like a kid busted with her hand in the cookie jar.

"No you do."  
Masuda Lily had been living in the apartment above theirs ever since Miki and she had moved in. They had started being friends when after a heavy working week-end, Miku had woken up late for school. The blonde had been in pajamas, out to get her newspaper, but had still offered to drive her there. Ever since then, Lily would drive the two girls here and there when they really needed it, and Miku would cook for her now and then. To top all this off, the twenty-year-old woman was the Kagamines' half-sister, as one might have guessed from the looks. She also was the reason Miku and Miki had met the twins to start with, as the two fifteen year olds often came by to see her. It came as a surprise to all of them that the four of them went to the same school. And that had been the start of Miku's friendship with the twins.

Miki bounced in, freshly changed from her school uniform. "She had a date with Megurine Luka yesterday!" She outed her friend as she glomped the blond.

Lily ignored her splendidly, letting her have her share without moving an inch. "…for real?" Her icy blue eyes were on the other girl.

"It's not like that!" Miku was too red to turn around and look at her. She worked a little quicker at what she was doing, chopping and cooking the food. "We… went out to get to know each other because we're to work together on a song." She explained. "But it's unrelated to my good mood. I… I passed a test I thought for sure I had failed." She lied.

"Aaah, I see." Lily seemed convinced. "But wow, seriously? …Well… you do work for the same company after all… What a small world." She laughed. "Luka and I went to school together; she was in my class for…" She started counting on her fingers. "Eight years."

The redhead finally let go of their guest and went to serve some drinks while Miku served the food, now quite interested in what Lily could tell her. "What was she like?" She inquired, sitting down in front of her.

"She was clumsy and awkward!" The blond laughed again, louder. "She never could speak her mind and she always stumbled to say the most ridiculous things… even greetings were a pain for her to get out! It was to the point she was nicknamed Toeto, and it stuck _at least _until she was at fifteen!"

Miku stared at her, waiting for Lily's nose to go Pinocchio.

She seemed offended. "Don't look at me like that, I'm not making it up. I have pics _and_ videos to prove it."

Well if she had proof, it was another story. But if she had these pictures and videos, it meant they weren't barely classmates. "Oh, so you were friends too?"

"Uh. Yeah." Lily brushed it off, crossing her arms. "Really though, I seriously wonder how she turned out to be such polished and proper woman." She shook her head, seemingly amazed. She then suddenly came back to herself and picked up her chopsticks. "Sooooo anyways, how are my two brats doing? Tell them to drop by, it's been a while since I saw them." She looked at the two younger girls.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Later that evening, Miku threw her book across her room. She couldn't concentrate, and it frustrated her incredibly. Every time she tried to focus, she ended up thinking of Luka's hand gently entwining her fingers with hers. She rose from her seat at her desk and trotted to her bed, letting herself fall heavily on it. She sluggishly turned on her side and picked one of her plushies, the one that was a colored a soft baby pink.

Miku looked at it intently. "I don't get it." She told the pink octopus.

The way everything about Luka made her react bothered her exceedingly. She had gotten to the point she now questioned her sexuality. She sighed deeply; it couldn't be. She really wasn't that way. She never thought twice about it when Rin would take her hand or when Gumi took her by the arm. She even gave it a doubt, thinking maybe it was because she was into… womanly women. Taller, with curves. But no, she knew it wasn't like that either. When Lily hugged her before she left, Miku found it commonplace, nothing more.  
And what if Luka hugged her? She closed her eyes, turning on her back to face the ceiling. She could feel her cheeks burn immediately, her skin tingled and her breath caught in her throat. Her eyes snapped open immediately.

"I don't get it." She frowned, irritation growing more of a pain. She brought the octopus closer to her face. "What's different about Luka-san?"

Fame? Maybe…  
Maybe she was just getting carried away because she happened to be spending time with someone she admired and had wished to meet for a long time. The diva had impressed her right off the bat, and Miku was absolutely certain her voice gave everyone shivers as it did her. That must have been it then, she decided. She had been so thrilled about spending time with her, she was now overwhelmed. Miku discarded the plushie and pulled one of her pillows to her to squeeze it against her. "I want to hug her…" She mumbled.

**- Continued in ch.3**

**I'll try to update quick?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the delay... at least I made it longer this time around? XD;**

After having exchanged e-mails, text messages and phone calls during the following week, they had agreed on a second date. The only moment that was convenient for both of them happened to be a friday night, which was good because Miku could stay up as late as she wanted, but was a bit dire as she didn't have as much time as last time to get ready for the date. This last part explained why that day, Miku left school jogging. She had an errand to run before she could get home, and she didn't have a minute to lose. She rushed to a very specific accessory store; she really wanted to get the other woman a little something… When she had bought her butterfly necklace, she had noticed there had been a pink one too. It slightly embarrassed her, but she was incredibly excited at the simple thought of wearing matching jewelry.  
Fortunately, the matching butterfly hadn't been sold; she paid it before swiftly sprinting home.

"I'm home!" Miku called as she rested her bag next to the door, careful not to damage the gift she had just bought. She rushed to the bathroom, taking off her clothes and dropping them along the way in the passage.  
She was done with her shower in record time, and she trotted to her room, her body wrapped in a large towel. "Miki get over here!" She called once her underwear was on.

She heard the answer come from the living room. "Whaaat?"

Miku was glad she had picked her outfit already the day before, she jumped in her clothes. She had not wanted to be running around for half an hour like last time… she didn't have this time to waste anyways. "I don't have time for my hair! I'll be late!" She started to panic.

A minute later, the redhead appeared in her doorway, having picked up Miku's dirty school uniform on her way. She dropped the clothes on the bed. "I'll go get it." She simply said before she disappeared for a short moment, she then was back with her blow-dryer.

"Thanks, I owe you." Miku sat and started on the right side of her head with her own blow-dryer.

"I want some pancakes." Miki answered nonchalantly, starting on the left side of the teal head of hair.

She nodded very slightly, not wanting to bother their work. Only when they were almost done, Miku stopped to apply some make-up, letting her roommate finish the heavy load that was her extremely long teal hair. It wasn't the first time Miki had helped her get ready, and it surely wouldn't be the last. But Miku didn't feel bad, not one single bit. Her best friend relied on her for mostly everything that was to be done in their house, cooking, cleaning, groceries… you name it.  
Both of them were done about at the same moment, and Miku thanked her once again before she scrambled to get everything else. She put on her own teal butterfly necklace and made sure that she put the gift in her purse before heading out.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Their second date was almost done when Miku decided to give her the surprise gift. Luka looked at the pink butterfly in disbelief. "…Thank you so much, you really shouldn't have…" She picked it up from the small box, observing it more closely. "Thank you..."

Miku felt her cheeks burn. She was glad to have such a response, but she suddenly felt it might have been too much for a second date. A second _fake_ date at that. "Don't mention it… I.. I just thought it would be… nice… to… s-since you liked mine…" She gestured with her hands a bit incoherently, and now that Luka's turquoise eyes observed her curiously, she felt slightly lost. She dropped her hands to clamp them behind her back. "We'll match now…" She added in a quieter voice.

The older woman's eyes went from Miku's, to the pink butterfly to the teal one. "Yes…" She extracted the jewelry from its cute box and held it carefully in her hand. Her eyes widened slightly as she seemed to have an idea, and her gaze met Miku's interested one once again. "I should wear your color, don't you think?" She simply stated, extending her hand with the pink butterfly towards the young woman.

"Eh?" It took a second for her to understand, and then her expression lit up. "Ah! I like the idea!"

Luka smiled. "Would you then?" She motioned from Miku's teal butterfly to her own neck.

Miku realized that to put it on she'd have to wrap her arms around her neck, almost as if she was hugging her. It brought her back to the daydreams she had about closing the distance between the two of them. Miku's body grew warm, it bothered her. "….Y-yes." She still answered before she gulped, trying to do so not too loudly. She removed her own necklace and approached her. Luka gathered her hair on one side of her neck, holding it. She stood with her hands around her neck… she was so close she could feel the heat from her body, she could smell her perfume. She wanted to take another step forward, wrap her arms completely around her and rest her head against her shoulder.  
And she suddenly was very aware of Luka scrutinizing her features, and her hands started shaking nervously. Her body grew even hotter. She pulled back swiftly once it was secured around her neck.

However Luka advanced to in turn bring her hands around her. The teal haired young woman didn't know where to look, feeling more and more tense. "…Relax, Miku…" Luka whispered, making her slowly turn to look at her. "You don't have to be so nervous."

Miku saw in her eyes something she couldn't identify. There was some warmth, affection and yet something about the spark they had reminded her of… hunger? That wasn't quite it. But before she could recognize it, it was gone. Miku stayed still until the pink butterfly was tied around her neck.

Luka seemed satisfied, and touched the teal butterfly resting on her chest with the tip of her fingers. "I will never be seen without it, get ready for fans' reactions." The pink haired woman said with her oh-so-charming smile now gracing her lips.

"You're having too much fun." Miku accused, a little bit on the tsundere side. She was very happy Luka still hadn't stepped back.

"I'm sorry." Luka offered, cocking her head to the side. "I just knew you'd capture my heart, if we were to meet. You already had me charmed with the first song I heard of you."

Miku lowered her gaze, trying not to look at the other woman's chest as she did. Luka had once again chosen clothing that showcased a lot of cleavage. "…Don't say things like that. It's embarrassing."

"But it's the truth." Her voice oozed sweetness.

Miku felt mocked. "….Stop teasing me." Now she couldn't place if the woman had been playing with her from the start or if she was being sincere.

"I'm not." To Luka's voice returned some seriousness.

"…" She raised back her gaze, doubt evident in the way she frowned.

"Please believe me." The playfulness was completely gone. "I could see from our first meeting how hard-working and energetic of a person you were. Recently, I'm finding out how unexpectedly strong, audacious and really, really considerate you are. And I have always seen that you were positive, determined and… and so cute. I could just bite you."

"…Th-thank you… I really didn't expect…" Miku could barely answer her. She gulped, this time very loudly.

Luka smiled, allowing herself to play in the teal hair, brushing her fingers against her skin. "I just didn't want you to believe I'm spending some time with you simply because of work. I really had been eager to meet you, and you, as the person I'm discovering, are confirming all the reasons why I knew I'd like you…" Her voice was quiet, and Miku could swear she saw once more that something in her eyes that read for even more.  
"This gift.." She rested the hand that had been in Miku's hair on the small teal butterfly on her chest "…honors me. And I feel privileged that you would be seen wearing this pink one."

She had no idea how she could just straightforwardly tell her such things, she was so flattered she was at a loss of words. Her jaw hung open and she couldn't shake herself out of it. Yet again, Miku's heart raged in her chest; it seemed to do so at least once every time she was with Luka.

Her dashing smile, the particular one that had everyone say 'yes' no matter her demand, graced her lips. "Don't look at me like that." Luka chuckled. "Now I'll feel like I've said something wrong."

"Oh, oh no…" Miku mouthed. "I.. I just… it's….I don't know why, my heart is… beating so much faster." She rested her hand on her chest, laughing nervously. "I'm sorry, it's weird."

"…" Luka's smile softened again from playful into a more genuine one. She reached for her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "…I'm happy that what I said hit home."

"…Yeah." Miku gave a light squeeze back.

They looked at each other, still standing only half a foot from another. Complicity reflected in both their expressions and body language. Miku couldn't help but be reminded of two people exchanging rings at the altar…and found herself wishing the moment would last.  
She was really happy Luka didn't let go of her hand as she walked her back home.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Maybe I have a crush." Miku's eyes were round.

"….maybe." Gumi laughed but shook her head. "Or maybe not? You get emotional and overexcited every time you gotta work with someone. When you worked with Kaito, you would rant on and on about how much of a real prince charming he was. And then when you worked with Meiko, you blabbered on and on about how strong of a woman she was, and how you wanted to be just like her."

"…you have a point." Miku surrendered, laying her head on her desk.

"What did she do to make you think you…er… were… into her?" Gumi inquired, still slightly curious even having reasoned her.  
It made Miku jump up, eyes sparkling as she grabbed the short haired girl by the shoulders.

"There she goes…" Miki sniggered, her voice low as she hit Len in the ribs with her elbow. She herself had had to endure it last evening when Miku had just gotten back from her date.

Miku didn't hear her. "Oh my god, you have no idea how….charismatic she is. It's crazy! She's so charming and, and… _magnetic_. I'm _sure_ that's why everyone's so into her! I mean, of course, she's crazy talented, and her voice is flawless, and she looks like a model but….but, but… she just… she just smiles it's like you're under a spell!"

"Maybe she's a sorceress." Gumi offered.

"She's not." Len crossed his arms, seemingly offended. "It's just that… some people just have it all. There."

"You shut up. You got a life-size poster of her in your closet." Rin muttered, aggravated by her brother.

"How did you…?" He was horrified. And there he was thinking he had protected his secret behind the rock band posters plastered all over his room.

"Len, did you think we didn't know?" Gumi said, resting her hand on his shoulder as if this was an intervention.

"…Don't worry Len-kun, I get it now. I want a life-sized poster of her too." Miku sniffed, letting herself fall back in her chair.

"It's disgusting, stop it Miku-chan." The blonde girl crossed her arms.

"She's just playing Rin-chan… Miku's not like that for real." Gumi smiled at the youngest girl, not noticing Miku's eyes lowering in shame.

"I know! It's just.. she doesn't have to take it this far… She doesn't have to say that stuff with us." Her blue eyes also missed their friend's embarrassed expression as she tried not to look her way. "It makes me awkward." She pouted.

Miki decided to step in, she hated seeing Miku like that. "You should get used to it, Rin-chan… You know what their project is, and we'll see them all over. What if that ten-foot billboard on our way home has a poster of them as a couple to replace the Romeo to Cinderella one?"

"I don't know." Rin turned away, sulking.

"So you won't want to hear their song?" The redhead frowned slightly in response.

"I don't know!" Rin was now unnerved.

Gumi sighed, resting her hand on the smaller girl's head and looked over at Miki, then Miku, who were still sitting at their respective desk. "I… have to admit I'm also slightly uncomfortable with how things are unwrapping. When you said you would work with her… and what sort of project it was, I didn't expect things to get this… to this extent. I mean, on a personal level. You shouldn't let it get to that point."

There was a silence.

Gumi didn't avoid the staring eyes of her two sitting friends. She didn't think this game was one Miku should be playing, she didn't like the idea that some people would think less of her friend. And she really thought it would be better if Miku didn't get charmed by a woman, this wasn't her nature and it would be too hard for her socially afterward.

Rin awkwardly had turned her whole body to avoid having Miku in her range of vision. Why couldn't Miku act now like that time she had worked with Meiko? She hadn't confused admiration with… attraction when she worked with Meiko. This was twisted and perverted.

Len didn't dare say his opinion, afraid of making Rin feel like he was disloyal to her or being discredited. He _was_the only boy in this conversation about girl on girl which in addition included his favorite artist. Whatever he said would be brushed off.

Miki's expression was one of mixed uncertainty and betrayal. She didn't get the stakes as Gumi did, and she didn't get what rebuked Rin. She could see they were uncomfortable, without understanding why. She could see Len's reluctance. She knew she was missing some part of it all, and not understanding made her angry.

Miku watched her friends wondering why things had gotten to that.  
No one got to add another word before the bell rang and they were forced to get back to their respective classroom. She caught Miki's eye as the redhead turned to sit straight in her chair and she smiled at her. The girl immediately beamed back at her, as if nothing had happened.

After the end of class, Miku walked home with Miki in silence, wondering why it was such a big deal. She didn't say much through the evening either, meditating on the events of the day.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Luka exhaled deeply, removing her hand from between her legs. She rose from her bed and headed to her bathroom to wash the stickiness off her fingers. She looked back at her reflection in the mirror… Her hair stuck to her flushed and humid skin, her lips were red as if she had been wearing lipstick, her eyes were glazed, pupils dilated. It was obvious she just had had an orgasm and only one thought resounded in her mind. "How revolting. You're sick." She muttered at the disheveled person starring back at her, disgust dripping from her voice.  
Miku was a young. Most people thought of her still as a child.  
But Miku's body didn't look like a stick-figure, the way a child's would. She might not have had much breast, and might be smaller than average… but her hips were obvious, and they gave her an hourglass figure. Her legs were long, and her thighs were fleshy enough to be womanly. Her face didn't compromise the typical roundness of a child's. Because she was _not_ a child ...it's just that she was _so_ delicate. And Luka hated herself for noticing.  
She shut her eyes tightly and clenched her teeth a moment, trying to shake herself out of it. She wanted so badly to feel lucid, feel in control, but her mind's eye would only let her see herself kiss Miku's stomach, going down. Or the smaller hands with teal nail polish exploring every inch of her own paler skin. She turned on the faucet and splashed cold water to her face, abruptly clearing her head.  
_  
Miku would be horrified if she knew what I really wished for when I take her hand. _

Miku was being so kind and naively trusting, unaware of how what filthy desires Luka was nourishing. Unaware of how Luka had defiled her so many times in her mind. She closed her eyes, fighting back the feeling of shame suffocating her.  
If Miku had looked like a child to her, she wouldn't have developed this… this _obsession_.  
The first song she had heard from Miku was "When the first love ends/Hajimete no koi ga owaru toki", and she had immediately succumbed to the charming voice. She had then made sure to check regularly what the younger artist was doing, the songs she was releasing, the photo shoots she had, and even what the gossip magazines had to say about her. …One could say she was a fan.  
The first time she met her… she had been taken aback by how modest and humble the girl truly was, and then impressed at how eager and diligent she showed herself. She fell in love when she realized that the sweetness and the kindness were real. Luka sighed and shook her head. As shallow as she knew it was, she also knew Miku had captured her heart before she had even met her. Meeting her had simply set her feelings in stone.

She looked at her reflection again. She looked like a mess, and she didn't want to see herself anymore, so she walked back to her room. She picked up the teal butterfly pendant from her nightstand as she lay back on her bed, on her stomach. She examined the cute piece of jewelry in her hand.  
Miku had millions of fans; the odds that she would pick her over an honest boy were ridiculous. Yet there she was, dreaming day in and day out about her, fantasizing about something god- forsaken. "How pathetic." She laughed bitterly to herself.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

It was on their third 'date' that Miku remembered to ask.  
"Do you know… Masuda Lily?" She questioned curiously.

And it was the first time she saw Luka lose face.  
The pink haired woman choked on her tea, coughing loudly. "W-what about her?" She stuttered, small tears in her eyes and cheeks red from the coughing. She looked nervous.

"…Nothing really…" Now Miku was intrigued.  
She had invited Luka over for a home-made diner, as promised on their last date. Miki had been burdened with the groceries while Miku had waited in their apartment to let Luka in.  
"…it's just, she's my neighbor, and she said you knew each other." Said neighbor had also been kind enough to take Miki to the supermarket, she had offered since she herself was on her way with the twins. Miku didn't doubt the three of them would show their faces at the door, since she also did not doubt one single moment her roommate would tell about their guest.

"Ah. Yes." Luka seemed relieved. "We do know each other."

Miku watched her silently. Maybe Luka was simply embarrassed Lily could have shown old pictures of her? Said pictures really were cute, but indeed embarrassing for someone like Luka. But she couldn't shake the feeling it was something else.  
"…...Are you… hiding something?" She inquired.

The woman knew if she said no, she would obviously be lying. But she also knew she couldn't just say yes without any follow-up either. She was busted and she had to follow through.  
"..It's just… We went to an all-girls school… … " She explained vaguely, hoping Miku would understand where she was heading.  
But Miku didn't seem to get it at all.  
"…We were kids!"  
Still no reaction. _  
_Miku had agreed to this project, and she had agreed to 'pretend'... so surely, she wouldn't be put off by something that had happened so long ago, would she?  
_Well here goes_, she thought.  
"We… … dated… sort of?"

Her face fell. "…you? with… … Lily?" It suddenly felt like if acid was burning her insides. Even if she had wanted to, Miku couldn't deny it was jealousy.

Luka held her face in her hands in shame. "I know, I know, I know, please, let me forget about it! It was a mistake! We were kids!"

Miku didn't get whether Luka said it had been a mistake because she had dated another girl, or because she had dated Lily in particular. She found herself dearly hoping it was the second option. But she didn't have much time to reflect on it or to think through her own feelings about this, Miki was back, and as Miku had guessed, the twins were with her.  
The three of them looked at the pink haired woman like she was the only thing in the room.

"Hi!" Luka stood, pausing her conversation with Miku.

"Wow! You're even more beautiful in person!" Miki trotted to her, looking at the woman very closely. So closely in fact that Luka stepped back and bumped into her chair. She sat back down as a result, and Miki scrutinized her face even closer now that she was at her height.

"You're being rude." Miku pulled on the exclamation point lock, dragging her away from the woman. "Know your distances."

"Sorry!" Miki beamed, standing straight, but still fidgeting as she watched their guest.

Miku sighed and looked at Luka. "Furukawa Miki, my roommate." She then pointed at the two blond heads who were still removing their shoes at the front door. "Kagamine Rin, Len. Friends from school."

"Pleased to meet you." The woman smiled, quite amused. Her eyes then shifted to the twins, Rin who looked suspicious, and Len who looked uneasy. Luka knew right away who they were, and not because she had known their names. She wasn't surprised either that Miku was friends with them, since Lily was her neighbor. "You're… Lily's relatives, aren't you?" Both of them looked surprised, and she understood their older sister had never told them they knew each other. "Your sister and I were friends, a long time ago. You both look amazingly like her at your age."

Miku tensed slightly. Now that she knew what was their relationship, she realized she didn't like it that Luka talked about Lily.

"Do we?" Rin scrunched her nose and looked at Len. "You do, I don't."

"How's that possible, we're twins…" He frowned, obviously nervous about his favorite singer being in the room.

"Well that's how it is! I can't explain it!" Rin rolled her eyes.

"But it's not logical."Len sighed. "Anyways, you should look more like her, since you're both girls."

Luka grinned at the cute exchange. "Are they always like that?" She mouthed quietly.

"Always." Miku answered, having closed the distance to whisper back at her. The pink haired woman turned slightly to look at her host, smiling fondly at her.

Lily came in with the last grocery bags at the specific moment Luka turned back to glance at Miku. She dropped the bags she carried, stormed to her, took her by the arm and dragged the stunned woman towards the bathroom. "Give us a minute!" She called at the four younger ones, leaving them shocked as she locked the door behind Luka and her.

"What the hell're you playin' at?" Lily threw as soon as the door was closed.

Luka's eyes were big as they could be. She hadn't seen Lily in about four years… what a greeting. "What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb!" The blond got in her face, only an inch or two and their noses touched. "Luka, you didn't say a word back then, it went on for years! I had to learn to watch you, and I did! I read you like an open book!" She planted her finger somewhere between her shoulder and torso, accusingly. "You like her!" She hissed.

Luka wanted to say she wasn't, she wanted to refute her and pretend everything was the way it should be. But she knew better than to lie to her, and… she really needed someone to open to. Someone she knew wouldn't judge her repulsive desires. "I do." She quietly confirmed.

Lily threw her hands in the air, exasperated. She somewhat had hoped the other woman would deny it and prove her wrong. She turned her back to Luka as she walked to the locked door, then twisted again to face her, one hand in her hair as she seemed to rack her brain. She watched Luka with an air of disbelief. "You can't!" She finally retorted, having found nothing better to say.

"I can't help it…!" She countered, her incredulous expression mirrored Lily's. Falling for Miku had not been her choice!

Lily shook her head vigorously. "But it's a bad idea! Miku's not into women!"

"I know…" Luka's eyes dropped. Of course she had noticed Miku had somewhat of a crush on her, that's why she flirted the way she did. But she knew a crush is quickly gotten over and forgotten if things aren't taken to the next level… and she knew very, very well things wouldn't go past what they were because she was a woman. Once the excitement of novelty was over, Miku wouldn't be more interested in her than she was with any other of her friends. Miku wasn't one to stray from what was 'normal'.

"You should back down before it's too late." She warned.

"I know." Luka sighed.

"You'll get hurt!" Lily pressed. This was the reason why she was being so insistent .

"I.. know." Luka's voice wavered almost imperceptibly. Almost.

Lily's aggressive expression fell. "… …you're already hurt. You don't just like her, you're_ in love_ with her." Her voice had quieted down with the realization. She approached her without another word and pulled her close, not knowing what else to do or say. The shivering body in her arms wasn't the same small and frail one Lily had held all these years ago. Luka was as tall as she was now, and her body was even curvier. But even being very aware of that, even if she would have made a lewd comment in any other given situation, she kept to herself.

"…" It almost scared her how well the blond could read her, but she welcomed it. Not only had it always been hard for Luka to open her true self, she couldn't begin to imagine how she'd confess to anyone she had these feeling for another woman. She wouldn't disclose such ugly and forbidden desires. She just couldn't. Which is why she was glad Lily came to her, did the talking and understood. She was glad at least one person wouldn't judge her. She shut her eyes and hugged her very tight. "She's everything I ever wished for, Lily…" Luka whispered.

Lily nodded. "…Yeah…" She ran a hand in the pink hair, at the back of her head.

She relaxed slowly, letting her old friend console her. It had been years since they had last seen each other, and it had been even longer since she had held her in her arms, but Luka remembered very well the faint scent of honey that seemed to stick to Lily's skin. She had always found it oddly fitting. Lily's rough exterior didn't reflect how sweet she could sometimes be… but her scent betrayed her. "…I missed you, by the way." Luka sniffed, holding back her tears. She really didn't want to have to explain red eyes and smudged make-up to the four waiting outside.

"You're the one who ran off." Lily chuckled. She pulled back to look at her.

"Sorry." She had. Luka had broken up with her when she was to go study abroad for two years.

Lily sighed. "Listen, now's not the time to deal with this, but... call me, ok? You need to talk. And we'll find some plan, make her fall for you." She watched as the other woman turned to look at herself in the mirror.

Luka shook her head slightly, drying her eyes with toilet paper and making sure her make-up wasn't smudged. "I won't play behind her back. Just… let it be, okay?" She turned back to Lily. "And… please don't talk like we're at war…"

"Love is war, Luka. And I'm not standing down and watching you get hurt." She crossed her arms.

Luka narrowed her eyes. "…You're not in love with me still, are you?"

"Psh. You weren't _that _good.." She confidently puffed her chest, pride written all over her. "I found someone better."

Luka grinned suggestively. "I changed a lot, you know…" She walked to the door, unlocking it.

"I noticed." Lily smacked her ass.

"! ! !" The truly indignant expression on the diva's face was downright priceless.

"Ah! See, now you're back to yourself. Good mind set. Come on." Lily pushed her out before anything else could be said.

The four pair of eyes were on them as soon as they appeared in the living-room, and the blond motioned for them to get back to what they were doing. "Alright everyone move, everything back to normal." She sat at the dinner table as if nothing had happened.

"What was that about?" Miki stuck herself immediately to her, climbing on her to sit on her lap. She was the only to dare ask, nothing seemed too personal for the redhead.

Lily patted the red hair, twirling the exclamation point lock with her fingers. "Oh, last time we saw each other, we had an argument. I needed to settle it with Luka so we could get on with a pleasant evening." She lied, a smile like she was selling a luxury car etched on her lips.

And everyone seemed to buy it. Luka shook her head in disbelief, smiling. That woman had such assurance.

**- Continued in ch.4**


	4. Chapter 4

**I don't update as fast, buuuut m****y chapters are getting to be longer and longer… I don't know if it's a good or a bad thing XD;  
Thanks for reviewing, it's a nice kick in the ass for me to continue writing ;D Also, since I've had nice reactions with Lily and others, I'll add some development with her :D**

**(and I have some candy by the end of this chapter, I really hope you enjoy 8D)**

Miku was late for school, _again_. She had ended up cooking not only for Luka, but for Miki and the three blond siblings too. That evening flew by and before they knew it the clock hit midnight. Everyone excused themselves and when Miku finally could go to bed, she barely had 5 hours of sleep left. Miki, on the other hand, hardly needed any sleep and had left early since she had to train with the track club. End result was Miku running around the apartment to be ready on time. Fortunately, she had her own personal chauffeur. To whom she wanted to ask a million questions.

A short moment of silence and she couldn't hold it in. "Luka told me you two…" Miku started, watching the other woman.

Lily grinned. "Oh really? I didn't expect she'd ever talk about that. Well. Does that change who she is to you?" She glanced back at her.

She shook her head briskly. "No, of course not, she said you were kids… "

"Ouch." Lily grimaced jokingly. She had loved Luka… to her, it hadn't been a teenage trip. "So then does it change who I am to you?"

"…no, I just… why didn't you tell me?" Miku asked a bit more quietly. She wanted to know everything about Luka, and she was glad Lily had pulled out of old souvenir boxes all the pictures she had shown her of young Luka… but she wondered why she had completely omitted that part. She had probably also left out incriminating pictures and episodes of their lives.

Lily sighed. "…'cause I knew Luka doesn't want anyone to know she ever had this thing with me. I'm very surprised she told you."

"…I guess it would be bad for her reputation." The teal haired young woman mumbled.

"See?" The blond had made her point.

There was another moment of silence. Both of them understood the sad reality of the world they lived in, and neither knew what else to say. Miku knew very well, even if she didn't understand what the big deal was, that too much people condemned homosexual behavior. Even if it was just a phase, even if it was just once, it could be enough to destroy a reputation. Miku hoped the song she would write with Luka would be received well, and she hoped even more dearly that it would be an eye-opener to some.  
Her eyes went to Lily, who had started mouthing inaudibly words to the song the radio played. There were too many things she wanted to know, and she didn't know when the opportunity to discuss such a delicate subject would again present itself.  
"So… do you like women?"

"Yep." She didn't even bat an eyelash.

Miku was a bit surprised about her candor. "…What about men?"

Lily scrunched her nose, seemingly thinking. "I have… sometimes. But the more I do it, the less I like it. And really, I'd never want an actual relationship with a man."

"…" Miku realized she knew very little about her friend because this, she understood, probably meant that the other woman slept around. She somehow didn't find it too surprising… but it also meant… "….So… you prefer women."

"Yep." Lily nodded.

"…are you… hum….a…." Miku felt uncomfortable saying these words. She had heard them way too much in a pejorative tone, and even as insults.

"A lesbian? I don't know, I guess?" She glanced again at her as she reached to turn down the radio to almost mute. The younger woman seemed uncomfortable and self-conscious. "Too much info?"

"…I didn't say that." She answered almost immediately in a defensive manner.

Lily knit her brow, now a little more concerned. "So, does _that_ change who I am to you?"

"…It doesn't bother me, if that's what you're asking." Miku answered honestly. "It's just that I… never got to talk about something like that."

She nodded, her frown having turned back into a smile. The blond knew there were very little people to talk to when it came to anything else than a 'normal' heterosexual relationship. "Good. So why are you bringing this up?"

Busted. Miku had been exceedingly worried when Lily had dragged the pink haired woman in the bathroom. She had busied herself cooking, but in her mind all sorts of scenario played themselves in her head. Granted it was probably because Luka had _just_told her about her past with Lily, but it still had left her with some… well, some fear. She really didn't like the idea that something could happen again between them. "D-do you still… uh…. I mean…. Are you still… into her?"

Lily expected this.  
"I wasn't, but damn, what a hoooooooot body she has now. Makes me doubt." She laughed, looking only to get a reaction out of her passenger. And a reaction she did get, she saw Miku's expression morph completely from nervous and expectant to troubled and cheated. She was somewhat happy to see it, it meant Luka's feelings might not be in vain. Before Miku closed herself though, she decided to set the record straight. "I'm joking, relax. I have someone already."

Her eyes widened, Lily's rotten joke forgotten. "What!" She racked her brain, trying to remember if she saw a woman visit Lily often these last few weeks. "How come we didn't know?"

"Because I don't talk about it." The blond stated the obvious. "People usually don't want to know about gay relationships. It's like a dirty little secret, so I don't bother to talk about it. I didn't know how you or Miki'd react …plus…I don't think Rin's ready to hear I eat pussy."

Miku grimaced. "That's crude, don't say it like that…"

"It's the truth." Lily chuckled. She looked over at her. "Go on then. What else did you want to know?"

Miku sighed, nervous once again. She was getting closer and closer to why she really had started this conversation, and she feared slightly Lily knew where all this was going. "…Is-is… she… I mean… would she… do you think… she's still… into you?"

"Absolutely not."

"…." She didn't know how Lily could say this so confidently.

The blond shook her head. "Oh believe me, she's not. She dumped me _years_ ago. She says it was 'cause she had to study abroad, but she never was in love with me." She sighed. Of course it had been convenient that she had to travel, but Lily had seen very well that the pink haired woman wasn't as attached to her as she was at that time. Their relationship had started because Lily had opened a door of whole new possibilities for Luka… Lily knew very well the other woman hadn't wanted her in particular, she had wanted another girl. Lily just happened to be nice enough and attractive enough, and she had approached her. Toeto would never in a million years have had the guts to ask another girl out.

"...I see." Miku mouthed, feeling slightly more at ease.

There was a short silence. Lily broke it quite promptly. "That's still not what you _really_ want to know, is it? So out with it, ask."

Now Miku understood she had indeed guessed what was behind all these questions. She tried to gather her guts and ask. "…I… uh… I just… wondered if…. …. You know. If… she was….. ….if Luka was… … if she… still… you know?" She fiddled with her fingers anxiously.

"No, tell me." She played dumb.

"…. Is she…. Done? With… you know?" Miku was irritated, yet too curious not to try again.

"No I don't know." Lily had this big cheese, she obviously understood the question.

She lowered her eyes. "…..Please, you're… really making it hard on me…"

The older woman sighed. "That's the point. If you can't even say it, I wonder how anything can happen between you two."

"…." Miku felt her whole body grow so hot yet so cold at the same time. She felt a bit violated, hearing such a suggestion. She hadn't been ready to face her own desires, and having someone else push it in her face was a bit much for her to bear.

Lily noticed how mortified the teal haired young woman looked and suddenly felt sympathetic. It seems she had forgotten how hard it was at first to accept feels that were considered outside of the norm. "You want to know if she'd go for a woman once again or if it was just a phase, right?" She worded the question for her, her voice more gentle.

"…." Miku lowered her head. She did want to know, no matter how humiliated she felt.

"…I can't tell, love. You should ask her." The blond quietly answered.

Miku wasn't sure if the other woman couldn't tell her because she didn't know or if she couldn't tell her because it wasn't hers to reveal. Either way, Miku was surprised she wasn't feeling cheated or angry. She didn't get the answer she really had wanted, but she had learned much more about Lily, Luka and felt much more comfortable with this subject. She also found she could face her own self more honestly.

"You're attracted to Luka?" Lily finally asked.

She almost denied it, but she knew it was no use. If she were to open up to someone about this subject, Lily was probably the best person. "….I-I don't know." She really didn't. She understood something about Luka was different, but her daydreams consisted about being able so snuggle with her. That was hardly attraction…was it?

"I'd understand if you are." She offered.

Miku sighed. "….She… she makes me…" How could she explain this?

"All hot and bothered?" The blond suggested, smiling.

She looked out her window, away from her. "….you could say that." She knew Lily used the expression implying sexual undertones, but these words described very well how she felt when she had these embarrassing moments with Luka.

"Tell her you wanna give it a try then." She shot immediately, a bit too happy about it.

Miku's eyes widened considerably, turning back to her promptly. "I can't say that!"

"Yeah you can." She was smiling like an idiot.

"…" And Miku couldn't believe that woman. That she could just go to another woman and tell her she wants… 'this' didn't mean Miku had it in her to do it too.

Lily groaned. "You can. I know her, I know you can. If she wants to, you'll get what you want. If she doesn't she'll decline, but see, that's why you _can _ask her. She'll do so in a way nothing'll change between you two. She won't be offended, and she won't let things go downhill. So what you gotta lose?"

Well, if that was what she had meant, Miku decided it might not be such a bad idea. "…alright, I'll… keep that in mind."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

That afternoon, Gumi pulled Miku apart from the rest of the group before they headed home. She looked slightly worried, and Miku didn't need to guess why. She also had seen the magazines, had also heard what people had to say. Never mind the looks she had gotten when Romeo to Cinderella was released, it was now a whole new game. She had heard all sorts of names whispered at her back… for teaming with the 'enemy', for 'cheating' on Kaito, for being, if she had heard right, a sick pervert.

"Miku, I'll… assume you saw the gossip headlines." The short haired girl sighed deeply.

"…I have, I heard some pretty nasty stuff too." Miku leaned on the wall. She knew Gumi was worried for her well-being. She knew she was being her friend on this, but she really didn't want to hear anything else concerning Luka.

"…Then I'll get straight to the point." Gumi looked a bit uncomfortable. "Stop it, you'll only hurt yourselves."

"I got that." She answered, her eyes on her friend's. "But it's too late to go back, we need to go through with that song."

She scratched her short green hair, looking a bit anxious. "Well don't make it so personal. Why don't you just do the publicity stunts and leave it at that?"

Miku started fiddling with her fingers. "Because I really wanted to work with her… for so long. I want it to be special." She knew it wouldn't be much of an excuse to anyone else. But that was the truth… mostly. She knew it would be a bad idea to just confess she was starting to look forward a bit too much to every meeting she had with Luka, and that it had nothing to do with work.

"Miku, I saw posts on blogs, twitter, I heard vicious things being said about you… you know what about." Gumi looked genuinely worried, and Miku understood, but she couldn't help feeling attacked.

She straightened herself, standing back up and away from the wall. "Seriously? Don't give me that… Luka and I are just getting to know each other! Gumi, you know I'm not _cheating _on Kaito! I'm not even with him to begin with! Everyone knows sooner or later he'll notice Meiko's the one-"

"That's not the point." Gumi cut in. "You're risking your whole reputation, it's not worth it!"

"Well then, what about people who really are in a… a homosexual relationship?" Miku was glad she had this conversation with Lily before Gumi hit her with this. She felt slightly more comfortable discussing it and standing up for it. "They need to see it's not a bad thing! They need to see public characters or idols like Luka and I too could be like this, and that's it's not strange, don't they?"

"It's still not your fight to fight, they don't need someone faking it." She crossed her arms, her expression rather firm.

Miku was slightly at loss, and couldn't help her next answer. "…What if I'm really attracted to her?"

Gumi's resolved air turned into a much worried one. "….. … are you?"

"…I said what if." Miku suddenly regretted having stepped too far.

"Don't evade the question." Gumi closed in, extremely concerned.

She looked down at her feet. She really didn't know herself. "Well I might, ok?"

"…Then all the more reason to step back." Her voice was quiet, and her expression unbelieving.

"But…why?" Miku hoped dearly she wouldn't hear any homophobic answer. She really didn't want to lose friends over something she thought so stupid. What did anyone care who she loved or who she wanted to be with? Why did the rest of the world care what she did in her bedroom or who she did it with?

Gumi brought a hand to her forehead seemingly thinking. She looked upset. "Miku do you like men or women?"

"….Men. Usually." Miku then understood Gumi's point before she said anything else.

"There. Don't put yourself through such stigma when you don't need to." She shook her head. "You should… back down before you're too… into her."

"…..I'll think about it." She very quietly answered. Gumi might be right. What if she acted on a crush, destroyed her reputation, and then regretted it? She understood she was somewhat attracted to her, that thinking of anyone else with her made her a bit jealous… but she still didn't know how seriously she felt about Luka. That her friend wasn't necessarily being closed-minded about girl-girl relationship, that she was just being concerned about Miku in the long run. As they returned to the rest of the group, waiting for them to get home, Miku felt compelled to ask. "..For the record, what if… what if I ended up… in love with her?"

Gumi didn't answer right away. She glanced at her. "I don't know. It's… I mean….. …..look, just… let's not think of what ifs."

Miku was hurt.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Saturday afternoon, Miku looked over at the gorgeous woman sitting about a foot from her. She had invited Luka over so they'd be able to peacefully get some work done. They had agreed that they should start being serious and get cracking. So they now were in Miku's room, both sitting on zabuton cushions. Tea and light butter cookies were laid out on the low wooden table. But writing about something one hadn't experienced was challenging, to say the least, and the young woman tapped her pen softly on her cheek. "Do you know what you want to do?"

"With lyrics I still don't know, but I do have some basis for the melody… did you think up anything?" Luka returned the question, shifting closer as she saw the younger girl pull out some papers.

"Nothing worth showing as of yet." Miku took a deep breath before exposing what she had. "But here, I have…" She started as she held out a paper sheet to the other woman, "…some… ideas, themes I think would be good to incorporate, to set the tone." She started, watching as Luka read through the notes.

"Love as tenderness, complicity, warmth …. " Luka read some of it aloud and raised her eyes met Miku's. "and… you want to make a reference to our butterflies….? Now _you_ are a romantic." A smile danced on her lips.

"N-not really." Miku couldn't hold her gaze. "This is just… what I…. …. ..think it would be like if I were to be in a relationship with… another woman." She admitted, sparing Luka some part of the truth. Miku hadn't vaguely been thinking of what a two women relationship would be like, she had specifically imagined how it would be with Luka. Her daydreams had gotten slightly worse after she had talked to Lily. It had seemed to unlock something in her head. "That's what I think making love would…" She tried to elaborate but trailed off, embarrassment preventing her to finish her sentence.

"…." Luka felt her body, especially her face, grow warmer. So this seemingly innocent young woman had been picturing herself this sort of things? Two women? "Making love…?" She repeated, leaning closer. "You want us to bring the lyrics to imply something of that sort? I know Watanabe-san talked about a desperate love, but I really thought you'd go for a more innocent and… chaste type of love." She was surprised, but not displeased… far from it.

"..If …if chaste is what you want to do, Luka, we'll go with that…" Miku observed the other woman's features. "I just thought… it wouldn't be realistic to talk about love, real love, and it being devoid of… physical attraction. I mean…. it can't be love if there's no… need…?"

"… ...You're right." Luka smiled. "I don't mind us including this, but have you ever…?" The question seemed natural to ask, since experience was directly related to the ability to write lyrics that would feel real and true to the listener. Truth was, Luka deeply wanted to know to satisfy her own personal curiosity.

"…I… er.. no, I haven't…. I-I never had a boyfriend so…" Miku trailed off, her eyes on Luka's. She could feel a slight pang of jealousy as her thought shifted to the other woman's experience. "You have, haven't you?" She never knew how _deep _her relationship with Lily had been, but Luka had said they had been kids, so surely they hadn't… done anything. Nevertheless, she couldn't imagine a beautiful woman like Luka wouldn't have already attracted some man worthy enough to be her lover.

"I.. have." Luka admitted, watching Miku's expression seem pained for a very short second. She decided not to wonder why. "But I… I'd really rather not relate to this." She simply stated.  
Seeing the questions in the younger woman's eyes however, she knew she had no other option but to explain. "I studied in England for two years, I made friends over there… most of them were couples, but there was this guy. I wasn't in love, but he was nice, and everyone seemed to expect us to wind up together… so I only did what seemed normal." She started, seeing gradual understanding instill itself on Miku's features. "At some point, he… became too persistent. I understand that being his girlfriend meant I should… have sex with him. But he only ever thought of what he wanted, and moreover…since I…. I didn't love him, I felt… defiled." Her voice had grown quiet and her body cold. She knew it wasn't only because she didn't love him that she had felt that way. It was mostly because he was a he. "A-anyways, it was quite unpleasant. Nothing good will come out my experiences for our project…" She finished.  
Feeling Miku's hand on hers, she looked up at her. The younger girl had a supportive air about her, her expression very concerned; Luka's heart warmed in an instant. "Don't worry about me…" She reassured her as she gently tug her hand and pulled her in her arms, finally allowing herself more than a simple fleeting touch. As their bodies felt as they were melting together, she sighed contently. She was overwhelmed with Miku's sent, warmth and as Miku returned her embrace, nothing else seemed to exist anymore. "You're so sweet, so adorable." Luka murmured.

Miku felt dizzy, and if the contact at first took her aback, her body responded without her mind needing to allow it. Not that it could have, it had slowed to a stop when she felt the other woman's soft body against her, her slim arms cautiously holding her. This was what she had wanted.  
She breathed against her neck, taking Luka in.  
Miku felt like she was drunk, her body was heavy but her head felt light, her eyelids weighted a ton and she couldn't help closing her eyes. She felt incredibly warm but she was shivering, she couldn't think but all her senses seemed to suddenly wake. And her senses knew very well what she wanted next. She remembered the blond telling her if she wanted something from her, she should just ask. To hell with what Gumi said.  
"Luka… would you…" But she just couldn't phrase it for what it was. Miku almost choked her words, her breath caught in her throat. "… would you…. …. _pretend_… with me…?" She was unable to ask for it another way.

"Pretend..?" Luka repeated slowly. That's how they had been talking about them as an item for the last three weeks. Was Miku asking her to pretend to be in love with her, to pretend to want her… when they were both alone? To act on it? To pretend not for everyone else to gossip, but for Miku to fool herself into believing…. Believing what? Why was she asking for something so… unusual? Of course, Luka was more than willing to give her this experience, she actually did want her, and she actually…. loved her, with every fiber of her being. But she couldn't fathom the small, shivering body in her arms was asking her for something taboo as this.

"…I…I have to know what it's like…" She tried to justify her request. The fear of destroying everything they had built with what she was about to say almost paralyzed her and Miku didn't understand where she found it in her to talk, but another plead escaped her lips. "I …need more of you…"  
She didn't know how much more she wanted, she wasn't sure she wanted to think through how far she wanted this to be taken or why she was craving this… she just couldn't keep herself from asking for more as she drowned into the other woman.

"…More…? …. Of me…?" Luka repeated again, in no more than a breath. She knew exactly what she wanted to do, but would Miku really allow her this? Was Miku attempting to open herself and try something just because that's what work expected of her? Or was it because her crush made her curious? Did she _really_ get it? Would she pull back and abhor her if Luka really did go through with what Miku was asking?  
But as she heard Miku whimper uncomfortably, Luka felt she was being unfair, it had probably already taken a lot out of the younger woman to simply ask. She decided to save her anymore embarrassment and comply. If Miku was being unreasonable, if she didn't truly want… _this_, Luka would give still give her the option to stop her before she'd regret it. She'd start slowly; see how much Miku would consent to. She pulled her in closer and shifted so her lips brushed against Miku's neck, trailing kisses ever so softly.  
Miku's body stopped shivering as soon as she felt lips on her neck; it instead seemed to burst into flames. She hung onto the older woman as if her life depended on it. Luka was bewildered with such a strong reaction, but she enjoyed feeling such need from her. "….more..?" She questioned, her lips slightly brushing against Miku's ear.

"….more…" Miku confirmed, desperately clutching her. She didn't know what else she could do to quench this new thirst she felt, she felt like she would go mad if Luka were to pull even an inch away.

Luka started kissing her neck again, one hand running in the teal hair, the other massaging gently her back, encouraging her to melt closer. She felt Miku's body react to her touch, her breath got heavier… but most exhilarating was how fast Miku's heart beat. Pushed together as they were, Luka could feel it pound against her own chest. She also felt it when her lips traveled up from her neck to her cheek. She stopped, still wondering if she was wrong in complying with the younger woman's immediate demands. Was she selfishly taking advantage of the situation? Miku clearly wasn't being herself after all. "….Miku…" She pulled back enough to look into her eyes and meeting them, Luka froze. She was met with what looked like a hungry wolf's eyes; Miku's pupils were dilated into black swirls, desire and lust very clear in them.

Miku exhaled heavily. "….More…"  
She couldn't say it properly, she couldn't claim it herself, but her whole being cried for Luka's lips on hers. "…please…. I beg you…" She was feeling whatever was left of her naïve, childish self fade.

It didn't take another moment for Miku's pleads to be answered; Luka could simply not resist anymore. As their lips met, Luka wished for the world to end, stop, anything for this moment to never end. She didn't want to have to move away, she didn't want to have to face a clear-headed Miku afterwards. But the world didn't end, or stop; and Miku moved her lips slowly against hers. Luka kissed her tenderly, relinquishing in how gentle and soft the younger woman was.

Their slow movements became more heated, and the chaste kiss turned into burning craving. Luka very cautiously laid her on the fitted carpet of her room, careful not to break contact between their bodies as she did so. Luka was notably taller, and her body was much curvier; somewhere at the back of her conscious mind, Miku expected to feel a noticeable weight push her down. Through the haze, she was still awake enough to be astonished at how light the other woman felt on top of her. Her senses picked up the pink hair falling around them, enveloping her in Luka's scent. Her warmth was overpowering and Miku felt even more like she was drowning in her.

Eventually, they mutually broke the kiss and gazed at each other for a minute, their minds too foggy to feel embarrassed. Miku had felt her thirst quenched when they had pulled away but now, as quickly as she had felt satisfied, she felt incredibly deprived. She wanted nothing more than to close the distance between them again.

Luka broke eye contact but didn't move away. "Sorry. I didn't mean to take it so far." She murmured. She felt so comfortable; it didn't occur to her that as she said something like that, she should have gotten off her.

Miku really didn't mind. "I wasn't exactly unresponsive. And I… sort of asked for it…" She countered, lowering her gaze. She had done so in embarrassment, but her eyes met the other woman's cleavage as she did. Her breasts were pressed against Miku's chest as she lay on top, and her shirt sagged open, exposing way too much. Miku realized her mouth had watered and as disturbing as the thought was, she couldn't keep her eyes from roaming on the exposed skin. Every inch of her seemed… delicious.

"…" Luka was incredulous, she expected anything but this. She watched Miku's eyes run on her body hungrily, reminding her of dreams she had had. She gulped inaudibly and decided to selfishly push her luck. She was still scared Miku would regret their actions later, but her own body craved her so much it ached all over. Plus, she would keep in control enough to stop things if she ever felt they got out of hand, she thought.  
Luka kissed Miku's forehead and slowly lowered herself, approaching her lips again. Their heavy breaths mixed together, and she searched Miku's eyes. "…Should I… give you… even more..?"

Her question, no more than a breath, was to Miku a permission to latch at her once again. Her answer was crashing her lips against hers, and Luka responded hungrily. Miku's head spin from the new sensations. She wanted to get lost in her, she wanted time to stop, she wanted to forget the world, forget herself, and most of all forget that Luka being another woman supposedly made that she shouldn't even be doing this. Things felt everything but wrong, and Miku was going mad, wanting more and more with each passing second. She arched her back, pushing her body against the older woman's, finally driving herself over the edge. The curves and heat against her own frail body was waking something she never knew she could feel. Her instincts took over and she parted her legs enough to have Luka's thigh slip between them. She wasn't even aware of what she was doing as she moved her hips rhythmically, quiet moans stifled by Luka's lips on hers.

Feeling an intense spot of warmth on her thigh was a wake-up call for Luka. She couldn't take any further, she would feel like she was taking advantage of Miku. "S-stop…" She broke the kiss and stopped Miku's movements by resting a hand on her hip. She didn't pull away. "This is… too much." She started, her eyes desperately searching the young woman's. "I can't…"

"…." The sudden rupture had shaken Miku back to reality enough for her to understand what she had been doing. Realizing just how much she had let her body take over made her want to disappear; she couldn't believe things degenerated this way. What their work required to do sure as hell didn't involve this, and Luka only was kind enough to give her something she greedily asked for. Luka had not given her this small opening, allowing her a kiss, for her to take such advantage of it.  
Miku instantly let go of her, eyes watering. "I-I… I'm sorry!" Her mind reeled; of course Luka wouldn't be _weird_enough to let things get so much out of hand. Luka had been with a man, and not with Lily. Bottom line was… it wasn't natural for two women to do this. Luka wasn't like that, and Luka surely was disgusted with what she'd just done. "I'm so s-sorry! I"

"Wait!" Luka saw the negative emotions progress one after the other in a flash in Miku's eyes and when Miku released her, she quickly understood her train of thought. "Wait…" She kissed her cheek, successfully calming the other girl. Luka rested her forehead against Miku's. The poor girl seemed terrorized, but at least, she was listening to her.  
Luka knew she had no choice but to bear her own lust, and her cheeks went red at the thought of what she was to explain. "…Honestly, I think… I think my body's in the exactsame shape as yours…" She forced herself to admit the truth to the younger woman, for her sake. "… And…. and if I were to follow my instincts, by god, I would…." Luka trailed off, unable to tell her she would _make love _to her, but also unable to degrade her feelings enough to qualify this as crude sex.

Miku's watery eyes cleared, and terror turned into embarrassment, her cheeks growing a very dark shade of red at the confession. The knowledge that Luka was also turned on seemed to overrule everything else. She waited for the other woman to continue.

Luka brought her hand to her cheek, softly stroking it with her thumb. "…I… I just can't let your first time be like this…" She confessed. "…not with another woman… not when we're just… ... …pretending."  
That last word took everything out of her to utter. She had definitely, positively, absolutely not been pretending. These feelings and desires were _very_ real and _very_ true. Her throat was dry, and a cold wave had overwhelmed her as she spoke. Luka sincerely thought there was nothing wrong with two women together, it in fact felt more right to her than a man-woman relationship did. Moreover, what she felt for Miku was unlike anything she even dreamed she would be able to experience in her lifetime. It was something straight out of a romance novel.  
But she knew to the world, two women weren't right, and she also knew Miku wouldn't have asked for this experience with her if she had known there were real emotional implications on her part. Miku definitely wouldn't have wanted Luka to even touch her if she'd known she was in love with her. "You should wait for love and a relationship…." She managed to finish, running her hand tenderly in Miku's hair.

"…." Miku was moved. Not only Luka was understanding enough not to be repulsed by her behavior, she also truly cared about her. Tears welled up again in her eyes, but not for the same reason as earlier. She pulled Luka into a tight hug; unable to say what she truly wanted to answer. "You..you're right… thank you. " She said, instead of 'I don't have to wait for some boy! I want _you_!'

Luka gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before completely releasing her, getting up and off. "I.. think I should go. We both need to breath." She smiled and picked up her things. "Next time, you should come at my place; I have a piano… I'll let you hear what sort of melody I came up with."

"Mm.." Miku nodded, still buzzed by hormones and her sudden insight into her feelings. "…I'll… work on some real lyrics then…" She brought her hand to her chest, her heart was still erratic. "…Since now I… sort of understand what it's like…"

Self-conscious and cheeks burning, Luka still nodded. "I'm… looking forward to it." She simply answered.

**- Continued in ch.5**

Sometime next week, probably :D  



	5. Chapter 5

**Updating ASAP! Fitting all I wanted into this chapter, I couldn't do any quicker. XD;  
****As you may have noticed, this chapter made the rating of the story go from T to M, you'll see why by the end.  
I'm pleased most of you seem to enjoy lengthy descriptions of emotional reactions, 'cause I enjoy writing them a lot HAHAHA. Next chapter'll be quite something, I've already started on it.  
And yeah… I'm trying to relate to my experience of things to write this the most real I can… but still keep it close to what Magnet describes. I'm very happy some readers can relate and also think it's sounding real :3  
Anyways, I'll let you read now, I hope you enjoy! (and don't hate me)**

Luka couldn't sleep.  
Every time she closed her eyes, she wanted to cry. Miku had offered herself to her, and she said no. She cursed herself for stopping her. She cursed herself for her principles, morals, ethics, everything. She hated herself for not taking the opportunity. Although she knew so, so very well she would hate herself even more if she _had_ taken the opportunity. How contradictory is the human mind. Bottom line was, it hadn't been fair at all. There had been only two options, and both of them left her damning every god for such unfair circumstances. She had dreamt of her every night, she fantasized about a world where Miku could love her, and now that she expressed some interest… of course, she had to go and ruin it. Luka turned in her bed, hugging a pillow.  
She sighed deeply. When her mind wasn't giving her a load of crap, it took her back to that moment. The memory of her delicate skin as she kissed her neck, the taste of her lips, the younger woman's slender arms gripping and pulling her desperately closer, her petite body under her was all what she had pictured Miku would be, and more. Recalling the heat she felt on her thigh as Miku thrust her hips against it completely debilitated her. She craved her, she wanted her lips, she wanted her body to move again the way it had against hers…. It brought all sorts of images and her body reacted so strongly, it scared her.

…She wondered if Miku regretted what they'd done.

Surely she did.  
Miku was straight, it wasn't in her nature to want or do things like that. She had gotten carried away. Very much so, but it wasn't anything other than that. Curiosity had gotten the better of her, and nice sensations had pushed her further and further, without her truly realizing how far before it was too late. Miku wouldn't ever want anything else of that sort now that she had not only satisfied her curiosity, but also gotten embarrassed as she had. This was all Luka would ever get. Granted, it was much more than she ever expected… but a little taste of her heart's desires was much, much worse than none at all. Now she was pretty much condemned to relieve these moments, praying she'd get over it the soonest possible. She felt she'd eventually die from heartache if she didn't. All this would have made her wonder how she managed to have fallen so deeply in love, but she already knew all the reasons why.  
All these reasons made for how neither her body, nor her mind responded to her will anymore. Alternately, she would lose control of herself when the memories hit her, and then she would loathe herself for how ugly what she just had done was. It was going on and around in a circle, and at that point, she had already 'satisfied' herself so many times, she was ashamed to try and count. Guilt suffocated her, and she knew she'd have to face Miku soon…. but she could absolutely not let on a single hint about the battle raging inside her.  
She closed her eyes tightly. How could she deal with this torture?

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Miku couldn't sleep.  
Every time she closed her eyes, she remembered her lips, her scent, the weight of her body on hers… The events came back to her all at once, and she felt the need for her warmth to the point she wanted to scream. She was bewildered she could even be at that point. She never thought in a million years she'd be dreaming of another woman the way she was. She couldn't and wouldn't deny she had had reveries of Luka… it embarrassed her, yes, but she had had really cute and romantic daydreams. But never, ever had she thought any further than holding her hand or hugging her… and now… now… she racked her brain trying to think what she would look like naked. Miku brought a pillow to her face, burying it in the fabric, trying to shake herself out of this.  
She was forced to look at things for what they were... This wasn't confused admiration. This wasn't a harmless crush. This wasn't even light attraction. She felt profoundly ashamed of her feelings, but she very strongly desired the other woman. She lusted for her. She was starting to imagine unhealthy things... how her touch would be, what the rest of her body tasted like, how her beautiful voice would sound as she was gasping for breath.

…She wondered if Luka felt the same.

Surely she didn't.  
Anyways, if Luka ever needed a woman again, if she wasn't already done experimenting… she'd surely go back to Lily or any woman who actually looked like a _woman_. Not to a short, flat-chested, scrawny girl like herself. Luka probably had said she was also… turned on because she was a nice person and didn't want to make Miku feel bad. She had only given her what she had practically begged for. Scratch that, what she indeed had begged for. Her body grew colder as shame washed over her. She couldn't believe she had actually had the guts to ask for something like that.  
She sat up in her bed, looking at her body. No matter how hard she was on herself, at this moment… all it did was remember the feeling of Luka's chest pressed on her, her slim waist in her arms as Miku pulled her closer, her light weight, her soft skin, her warmth, her touch, her scent… Even as feelings of guilt, self-loathing, shame clawed at her mind, it still brought her back to that moment. It distraught her that her own body betrayed her such. It was literally screaming for relief.  
But she wouldn't. If she did relieve herself thinking of Luka in _that_ way, she knew she wouldn't be able to look her in the eyes anymore. She knew she would only want more and more, which she obviously wouldn't obtain. She couldn't cross that line; it would only bring her a step deeper into this mess. Though doing nothing only made her body hyper-sensitive and sore.  
She closed her eyes tightly. How could she deal with this torture?

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Gakupo leaned on the sofa the pink haired woman was sitting in, looking over her shoulder. They were in the luxury lounge of their recording company's studio and she had been scribbling on what appeared to be a music partition. She didn't even glance at him.

"I heard Hatsune-san and you will get it on. That's hot." He smirked, trying to read what she was writing.

Luka rolled her eyes, closing her notebook. "I guess it is." He was the last person she wanted to see right now. She had had enough of dealing with his flirting, and she _really_ didn't want to hear these lines from him. It was degrading to be seen as a sex object by men, especially since she wasn't even attracted to them. She hated it, and she hated even more that Miku would be part of it. This was the only thing she resented about their project. But it was also why this project existed to start with, she knew that all too well.

"Men love the idea of two women together." He leaned closer.

"How great." She grumbled sarcastically, putting away her notebook into her purse.

"I'm really... into that." He ran his hand through her hair to her cheek, forcing her head his way and leaning in to meet her lips.

"Don't touch me." She hissed, stopping him before he could claim what he wanted. Luka then stood, smoothing her dress as she tried to regain control of herself. She knew she was being unusually inconsiderate, tactless and cold… but she couldn't help herself. She was hypersensitive because she was stressed and hadn't slept very well ever since that _encounter_ with Miku.

"What's wrong all of a sudden?" He stood back straight slowly, half confused and half annoyed.

She turned to him, her expression disbelieving. "It's not sudden!" She had never been very responsive, and she had no idea how he hadn't noticed. But it was indeed the first time she pushed him away so bluntly.

He frowned, walking around the sofa to go to her. "… You always played hard to get but I thought y-"

"Well you thought wrong!" She cut in as she picked her coat, shawl and purse. She sighed, knowing she was being unfair and quite mean, so she explained herself shortly in a softer voice. "I played your game because I was expected to. But I'm not expected to anymore, so forget me. I've… had my eyes on someone else for a long time."

"…" Gakupo really was at loss. "….Who?"

She only shook her head. "Look… I have to go. I have a meeting." She headed off before he could add anything else.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Miku sighed heavily, staring at the name on the door she was standing in front of.  
It was almost a month since she saw Watanabe, her manager. She was slightly scared, having done… nothing but having fun. The only time she and Luka had sat down intending to work, five days ago, they… had _fun_. A different kind of fun, but it wasn't anywhere _near_ work. All-fun-no-work for such a long period of time, she just knew she wouldn't hear the end of it. She sighed again, gathering her courage and turning the door knob.  
The scene reminded her of the last time she had met with him…though the head of pink hair that sat her back to Miku had become familiar since then. This time, her heart was erratic just seeing her, and it somehow was able to accelerate even more as the woman turned around to look at her.  
They hadn't talked ever since that day, and Miku had been terrified they'd grow apart from each other. But the tenderness in her eyes and her sweet smile reassured her in an instant. She smiled back at her, feeling only somewhat relieved, before greeting the small man (who did not answer, his eyebrows furrowed down into a glare) and sitting down in the other chair that faced him. She was only somewhat relieved because now that she knew Luka was fine with what had happened, she still had no idea how she could act normal having lusted for her these last five days. The tall diva wasn't helping in the slightest; she wore a short dress and killer heels, exposing way too much of her long, slim and downright perfect legs. She sat with said legs crossed in such a feminine manner, her hands entwined rested just below her knee, on her naked thigh. And Miku knew she was staring, and she was absolutely certain Luka had noticed she was, and she dearly hoped manager hadn't.

"Hatsune!" He barked, stealing her attention.

"Yes!" She sat very straight in her chair, her eyes on his.

"A whole month and no news!" He stood picking up a pile a magazines and letting them fall heavily on his desk. "Moreover! Can you explain this?"

Luka reached for one of them and observed the picture of them on the cover. "We look cute, don't you think?" She smiled, showing her partner in crime the photograph.

It had been when they had exchanged their necklaces, both of them were standing very close and facing each other, they were holding hands and gazing at each other with such fondness… they really looked like a pair of lovers. The big title of this issue read _Shockingly unexpected!,_ and in small lettering underneath _Hatsune Miku and Megurine Luka looking for forbidden pleasures_. Miku couldn't help her blush, but she smiled back at Luka. "…we really do." She murmured.

"…" Their manager stared a short moment, unbelieving. "What's wrong with you two? What the hell are you trying to pull off?"

Luka sighed and put the magazine back. "Nothing, Watanabe-san. We only decided to learn to know each other so we're more comfortable when it's time for us to play the game."

"But don't do it in public!" He looked exasperated. "I was aiming for a surprise bomb!" As his face got redder and redder with anger, Miku was reminded of a thermometer.

"….But it'll be more believable this way, won't it?" The young woman countered.

"And the song will be so much more well written; it'll be a real hit." Luka added, knowing what to say to please the bald man. "It'll be heartfelt and convincing since we're now _closer_." She stressed the last word, and Miku knew why. But Luka didn't look her way and her expression let nothing on.

"…." The small man suddenly seemed to calm down, but he also looked quite cautious. "And how's it coming along?"

Luka decided to go for a half-truth. "The melody is almost ready, so we'll be starting on the lyrics very soon." She simply said.

He suddenly looked happy. "Ah! Well then, I'll set up a meeting with a composer!"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Once they were finally discharged, both of them breathed a sigh of relief. Miku went to the nearest vending machine and bought herself a soda, feeling incredibly thirsty after this interrogation. In addition, now that she was again alone with Luka, she felt a bit nervous. She didn't want them to talk about what had happened in a public place, but she knew they had to talk about it… or else she would descend into madness. This couldn't be a one-time-let's-pretend-it-never-happened-and-never-talk-again-about-it thing. It couldn't.

"…Do you like my dress?" Luka interrupted her train of thought, a too innocent smile on her lips. She couldn't help it. She had been much too thrilled to see Miku was still engrossed with her, much too excited that she hadn't satisfied her curiosity with what they'd done last time. She suddenly felt quite relieved and stress-free.

Ah yes… Miku had known Luka definitely had noticed her staring. "…You look stunning in it." She could only answer as her eyes went to her legs again. She forgot she had been thirsty and forgot the can in her hand with it. "Any woman would kill to have your legs, you know?" She whispered, hoping such a generalist comment would justify her earlier gawking.

"You have nothing to envy me." Her eyes stayed on Miku as she commented. "Your figure is incredible."

The young woman sighed, Luka was much too kind. "Yeah, right… I'm proportionate, that's pretty much it..." She mumbled, leaning on the wall.

Luka frowned, seemingly a bit bothered. "Do you even look at yourself in the mirror?" She stood in front of her, and a hand went to Miku's hip. "You have such a tiny waist, incredible hips, perfect legs…and…" She had caressed her hip and tummy, and her fingers brushed against her thigh. She hesitated a short moment, but she closed in on her, and Miku completely froze as she felt the other woman's hand slide on one of her ass cheeks. "I wished I had this. I want this."

"..." Miku stared at her with wide eyes as Luka's hand moved slightly. There it was again, that flicker in her eyes. She thought it had looked like need last time, but was it hunger? Luka's fingers pushed slowly as she, Miku realized, groped her butt. The young woman's body lit up, she felt on fire. Moreover, she was so close once again, Miku was unable to think of anything else than the looping prayer in her head, asking for any and every god to let her kiss her again.

Seeing the stunned look on the younger woman's face, Luka felt she might have gone too far and stepped back. "I'm sorry… that was inappropriate."

"…I don't know, I'm not offended..." Miku offered immediately. In fact, even if she had been surprised, she really wished Luka would touch her again. Even better if she touched places one would consider inappropriate.

"Well…" Luka cleared her throat. "You indeed have absolutely nothing to worry about." She concluded, smiling.

Miku knew it was risky to continue arguing about her body with the other woman, but somewhere deep inside, she thought that if they continued down that lane… things could easily get out of hand. And maybe… she would touch her again. Or maybe Luka would let her touch her. "I have no breasts." She blurted.

The pink haired woman raised her eyebrows, staring at Miku's torso. "That's false." She crossed her arms, a bit defiantly.

Miku pouted, correcting herself. "I have _almost_ no breasts."

Luka still had that defiant air, but her cheeks had reddened. "…I like y- I like _it _that way."

"….." She was unsure what had just been said. Did she hear right? Luka had corrected herself before she actually said it but…

She was a bit at loss, nervous about the mistake she almost made. Luka knew she had ventured a bit too far, she was risking her front. And she had been _so_determined not to show Miku what truly lurked behind her mask… "I meant… I find big to be… obscene. I like smaller better." She explained, trying to regain her emotional balance.

"Lily's aren't small." Miku countered before she could stop herself. She couldn't believe she had just said that.

"This isn't what I meant! I meant… I just meant I think it looks better! Platonically." Though it really was what she had meant. She liked her partner's body to be delicate and a smaller chest suit a delicate body much better. But she couldn't tell Miku that. "…And for the record, we were… fifteen… Lily's were small back when we were an item." This conversation was getting quite weird.

She stayed silent a short moment, she indeed remembered the pictures Lily had shown her.  
Miku stared at Luka. And once again, before she knew it… "…I still think yours are-"

"Look." Luka cut in before Miku got to embarrass the both of them any further. "….mine… I just think the way they are, they get in the way. You're lucky, and you look _beautiful_, head to toe."

"…." Miku looked down at herself, then at Luka. She was unable to say anymore. She opened her can of soda, sipping it as she watched coyly the other woman.

And suddenly…. she lost her balance, not having noticed that it wasn't a wall she had been leaning on, but a door. Her drink flew in the air, and Luka was fast enough to manage to catch her before she hit the floor. Miku was in her arms again, and she didn't care why or how she had ended up there. She didn't care who had opened that door, she didn't care her drink was wasted. All she did care about was that she never wanted Luka to release her. Her soft body and her sweet scent had her feel this heat once again.

"You scared the shit out of me!" Meiko pulled out some tissues and went to the younger woman. "I thought for sure you'd hurt yourself… are you alright?"

Miku had recognized her voice and quickly turned to the newcomer, her eyebrows raised high. Luka released her and they both noticed Miku had spilled some of her drink on the front of her vest and on her right shoulder. "Ack!" She accepted Meiko's tissues and started sponging herself with it. "Noooo, I can't go home that way!"

"Sorry, I had no idea you were there..." Meiko was smiling even through the circumstances; she hadn't seen the younger woman in a while.

"It's fine, it's not your fault…" Miku sighed, trying to sponge it the best she could.

"I'll lend you my shawl…" Luka had wrapped the pink piece of cashmere wool around her before she could protest. "It'll hide the stain until you get home."

Miku smiled at her. In almost any other situation she would have refused, but she could very clearly smell Luka's perfume on the fabric, and she was more than happy to be enveloped in it. "Thank you… I'll give it back next time we see each other… I'll wash it…"

Luka waved it off. "Don't bother… dry washing is expensive and I don't think it'll stain."

The three of them looked at each other in a short silence, before Meiko extended her hand towards Luka. "It's nice finally meeting you." She smiled very sincerely, and Luka liked her right away.

She took her hand, shaking it lightly. "Same here, I heard a lot about you."

"Nothing bad, I hope?" The short haired woman laughed.

"On the contrary." Luka smiled widely.

"Good then." She nodded then looked at Miku, who decided it was time she went in for a hug.

"It's been a while…" The younger woman said as she squeezed her.

Meiko patted her head softly. "I know right? I've been quite busy with the recording of the _Tsugai Kogarashi_music video… "

Miku pulled back to look at her. "Your duet with Kaito?"

She nodded, still smiling. "Yeah. He's a real angel to work with, everything went so smoothly. Now we're done and I'm free as air!"

Miku's features lit up. "Oh, I know! Next Saturday, Lily's coming over for dinner, why don't you come too?" A few months ago, when Miku and Meiko had had to work together, the short haired woman had met the blond and they had gotten along quite well. Ever since then, every week or so, the two of them would go out for a drink.  
But all this was an excuse to get to see the older woman; she wanted to talk to her about what was going on. She knew she couldn't talk to her friends at school about what she was living, and even if she knew she wouldn't judge her, she wasn't quite ready to tell Miki yet. Then there was Lily… but as much as Miku loved her, she really needed to hear what someone who wasn't… _that way _had to say about her confusing feelings. Meiko's opinion meant a lot to her, she respected her.

"Sure, why not." Meiko's smile widened.

Miku then turned to the other woman. "You should come too, Luka!" She'd just pull Meiko away for a short moment.

She seemed really eager, and Luka was a bit upset to have to decline. "I'm sorry, I can't... I have promotional events all week for the next week… so this weekend I'll be in Kyoto for the start of the mini-tour… "

"Oh." Miku was obviously very disappointed. She pulled the pink shawl tighter around herself.

"Next time I'll make it, I promise…" She was happy to see it made her smile. "You could come to my place the following week; I'll let you hear what I came up with…" She added.

"…So how long before we see each other again?" Miku's voice was a bit quiet.

"Nine days… but you can call me anytime." Luka smiled softly.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The warm body against hers was awakening some urges again and she caressed her stomach, dragging her closer. Miku was half-awake, and she knew she was dreaming of Luka again. She decided to enjoy herself and forget her shame at least in her dreams, since she couldn't seem to do so in reality. She entwined her legs with hers, enjoying the feel of her silky skin brushing against hers. She nibbled at her ear, burying her face in her hair. But something was off… The pink hair smelled of… fruits? That's wasn't Luka's scent… and her skin? She kissed her neck. "Luka…" She licked her skin, sucked lightly… then was truly woken by giggles and light slapping at her head.

"Miku! what?" Miki laughed, trying to struggle out of her grasp.

Miku released her like she had been burned, and with the sudden movement fell out of bed. "WH-WH-WHAT! What! What are you doing in my bed!" She gawked at her, very embarrassed and hoping dearly she hadn't done something she'd regret before she woke.

"I had a nightmare." Miki pouted hugging a teal pillow. "It was really scary, I couldn't sleep alone."

"…ah…" Miku shakily gathered herself and very slowly sat. She then crawled back on bed and stared at her roommate. She didn't know what to say or do; she could still see Luka lying on her bed and was more than distraught.

The redhead stared back at her for a moment, grinning. "_You_ didn't look like you were having a nightmare… What were you dreaming of?"

"I uh… I… ….nothing. I can't… r-really remember." Miku looked away, scratching the back of her head. Her long teal hair was a mess, she knew it.

Miki's expression didn't change. "I can tell when you lie, you know?" She scooted closer.

"….it's just… it's embarrassing?" She bowed her head in shame, unable to look at her.

"I guessed, I still want to know." Miki was much too amused for Miku's comfort.

"….I… I… uh… I uh… w-was with someone…" She mumbled, fiddling with her toes.

"Luka-nee-san?" The redhead's voice was as if she was about to burst laughing. She was having way too much fun.

"…..Why would you think that?" Miku tried to sound innocent.

"You called me ~Luka~ when you drooled all over me." Her cheese was from ear to ear and she stared closely at her friend.

"…" Miku felt truly nervous. Now that her crush had evolved to real desire, she really, really didn't feel as comfortable sharing her feeling, even with her best friend. She stared at her own hands in shame, not knowing what to say.

Miki seemed to notice and she patted her back softly. "Don't worry, I have dreams like that sometimes too, everyone does. Most of the time you wake up all weird and confused, but it doesn't mean anything." She beamed.

In a split second, Miku went from shamed to shocked. "W-what? You? You do?" She couldn't believe it. Miki was such a child, how could she have these dreams at all? But then, if she had such dreams… "About who?" Miku gawked at her again.

Miki's cute and smiling face didn't waver. "You still owe me pancakes you know. I expect them when I'm back from my morning run." She rolled out of bed and trotted to her room to get changed.

Miku was left still unbelieving and hungry for answers. "…..about who?" She asked her empty room.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Saturday, Miku was quite busy in the kitchen and Lily was already over as she had kindly accepted to do the groceries for tonight. When there was some knocking at the door, the short redhead ran to let their other guest in. "Mei-nee-san!" She squealed, jumping at her neck before she could even set foot in the apartment.

Miku joined them at the door, drying her hands in a kitchen rag. "Welcome, Meiko-san! Make yourself at home!"

Meiko nodded at her and waved back at the blond. "It's a shame Megurine-san couldn't make it, I'm really curious to get to know her." She said as she removed her coat and her shoes.

Miki raised her eyebrows; she didn't know the tall diva had been invited too. "….How come Luka-nee-san couldn't make it?"

"She had work." The short haired woman smiled, ruffling her hair.

Miki shut her eyes tight as her hair was being messed up. "On weekends?"

"Yep." Meiko let herself in and Miki turned to follow her.

The short girl bumped into the blond….who had her arms crossed and looked quite irritated. "Why do Meiko and Luka get to be called -nee-san but I don't? I've been around longer than they have!" Lily jumped her, making the redhead scream.

"Stop stop stop!" She giggled as both of them fell on the couch. "I-it's just that… Lily doesn't feel like an older sister!"

Meiko grinned. "I guess you're just being a bad role model."

"Hey!" Lily paused to glare at the short haired woman. "I'm not that bad!" She said before thinking it over. Well… she drank, smoked, slept around, dropped out of school, never had a stable job, had tattoos and piercings… maybe Meiko was right. She sighed and looked at the small girl under her. Miki had one eye closed, one cracked open and her hands protecting her ribs, ready for another attack. How cute. She couldn't resist another wave of tickling attack.

"Miku! Mei-nee-saaaan! Help!" She cried between bursts of giggling.

Meiko shook her head, smiling. She decided she wouldn't be Miki's knight in shining armor and left her in Lily's claws as she knew they would make peace quickly anyways. She headed to the kitchen and leaned on the counter, watching Miku prepare the food. "I heard about your new project. With Megurine-san."

"…Oh… hum… yeah." Miku blushed, busying herself with the food. "….What do you think about it?"

"Well… it's just another stunt Watanabe's trying to pull off." She commented, picking up a piece of chopped tomato and swallowing it.

"…..No I meant…" She sighed, putting away her kitchen utensils. "What… I mean… is it disgusting?"

"What?" Meiko frowned, unsure.

"….Meiko-san…" She turned to her but couldn't bring herself to look at the other woman as she explained. "…I got called names…and people whisper really mean things behind my back…because of this. I… I don't get it. Is it 'cause it's really a bad thing..?"

She seemed to understand and shook her head sadly. "I… think it's fine. One doesn't control what they feel or what they need, so I don't see the point of blaming them. And in your case, you're not even in this for real, so all the more reason they should be leaving you alone… You shouldn't feel bad. "

"…." Miku looked up at her. "…But I'm… I _am_ attracted to her."

Meiko looked very surprised. She straightened herself before leaning closer. "…Are you sure you are..?"

Miku was suddenly scared this woman she respected so much would think less of her. She nodded nevertheless. "…I'm sure. I-I really want to… kiss her… every time I'm near her. I don't know what to do." She had lowered her eyes in shame.

"…." Meiko rested her hand on her shoulder. "..I think… it might be better if you keep this to yourself and maybe to your close friends. Too much people have a problem with it, and it otherwise might turn into a mess… "

"…I got that already…" Miku said very quietly. She hadn't realized homophobia was such a widespread and hurtful problem before having to deal with it personally. She became quite scared about other's reactions and felt like laying low was indeed the best option for now. "But.. how do _you _feel about it?"

"Me?" Meiko quietly repeated, looking a bit concerned. "…Miku-chan, I just hope you won't get hurt. I don't really care any further." She smiled sympathetically. "You can't help being attracted to her, can you?"

That was something she needed to hear. "Thank you…" She whispered, hugging her tightly. Meiko returned her hug and patted her back very lightly. Miku grinned and glanced up at her. "With all this, our manager won't ask Kaito to go to me anymore. The two of you'll be free to see each other."

Meiko rolled her eyes, but her cheeks had slightly reddened. "That idiot Watanabe. Don't get me started on his case."

"OH, we've missed something it seems!" Lily grinned, interrupting the warm moment, the redhead in tow.

"You were too busy bickering." Meiko stuck her tongue at her, hugging Miku tighter.

"Humph. Well, I have my own cuddle toy." Lily just had to run her fingers in the red hair and Miki stuck herself to her. "See?" She looked quite satisfied.

Meiko squinted her eyes. "If you want a competition, let's not get these two involved. Let's settle with our usual." She released Miku, bringing both hands on her hips.

"You're on." Lily smirked pointing her index at her.

Miku face-palmed. "You do that at Lily's place. I'm not cleaning up after either of you throwing up." She hated their drinking contests.

"It was once!" The blond seemed offended.

The teal haired young woman threw a dirty rag at her head. "Once is still one too many!"

Meiko sniggered and mouthed at the other woman 'your place'.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Miku shot up in her bed, her pajamas were wet from sweating and stuck to her body. "..oh god…" She exhaled deeply.  
Another dream concerning Luka… it was getting worse and worse.  
She was going to her place the next day, and she didn't know how she'd be able to even face her. She shook her head to herself as she slowly got out of bed. She removed her damp clothes, fishing in her drawers for clean ones, but stopped when she noticed her panties were soaking. She held her breath in. She told herself over and over she wouldn't and couldn't cross that line. But Miku already felt she couldn't honestly look into Luka's eyes anymore... she had fantasized about her way too much. At the point she had reached, it was already as bad as if she had... done it. She sighed. As much as she hated it… she couldn't ignore her body this one too many time.  
It was over two weeks that her dreams had evolved from cute romance to adult ones, and she had held back up to this point. Now, her body wasn't even just sore, it hurt. She had too much built up and she knew she'd lose it if she did nothing once again…that or she'd just assault Luka tomorrow. Miku exhaled, resigning herself, and went to lock her door. She couldn't afford Miki inviting herself in her room this time. She made her way back to her bed without picking a clean pajama when she noticed Luka's pink shawl on her desk. She froze in her track and gulped loudly. She knew she'd hate herself…but picked it up anyways as she stumbled back in bed. She brought it to her face and inhaled deeply.  
"Luka…." Her head spun from the light perfume and subtle body scent still imbued on the pink cashmere. Luka's scent, she'd recognize among millions. It was the only one that could wake her body this way. Her free hand travelled down her stomach and into her underwear. "I swear… I'm going mad…" She mumbled into the fabric, pushing a finger in. Her mind showed her again her full breasts pressed on her own chest as she lay on top, it remembered the feel of her curvy body against hers… the way she kissed her, her gentle touch… her beautiful, beautiful turquoise eyes hovering above her. She was back at that moment again…but this time, Luka didn't stop her.  
She rocked her hips against her hand, her body trembling. Luka let her undress her. She could swear she felt her naked, soft flesh against hers and Miku explored every inch of her. She could hear the other woman's heavy breathing, she remembered it all too well, and the moans she imagined rung in her ears. Her breath was raging, and she rocked her hips faster and faster. It was Luka's fingers inside her, and she remembered her lips on her neck, her breath against her ear. She heard her beautiful voice whisper these three words before she kissed her again. Her eyes rolled back and her body tensed, she muffled any sound with the fabric of the shawl.  
Once she finally relaxed, she felt tears well up in her eyes. She knew she would feel bad once she would be done. She couldn't believe she went ahead with it. She wanted to throw the cashmere shawl out of her bed, feeling like she had soiled it, but she couldn't part with it. She bit her lower lip, trying hard not to cry. "How can I face her tomorrow…?" she whispered to herself, keeping the pink piece of fabric against her.

As her breathing slowed and she calmed, it hit her a bit out of the blue. In her fantasy, as Luka brought her to her climax, she had also imagined her whisper 'I love you'. And only _then_ did she get that all this wasn't just getting caught up in the moment anymore.  
One isn't just getting caught up in the moment when they dream day in day out about someone. One doesn't get caught up and feel such an array of emotions. She now understood that when she had finally come to terms with what she felt and she had thought she understood she _desired_ her… well she hadn't even gotten near the bottom of things.  
This was what she was to write about. This yearning for her, the feeling of abandonment of self to the desire of melting into her… wanting to be one with her, never have to be apart from her… _'This is love.'_ She thought, her eyes very wide.

"I'm in love with her…" She whispered to her empty room.

**- Continued in ch.6  
**  
**Ohohoho. And then she's going at Luka's place. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Ooooooooooooooh, I didn't expect so many reviews! I'****m very touched I got so much feedback, you're all making me go mushy. :'D  
Reading you all love the tension and "smexy scenes" I decided to go full-blown for this chapter, no holding back on what I wanted to do ohoho  
Other than that… I remember reading (and then thinking) some of you might not read/write English so well, so I guessed I'd let you know you can review in French, as it's actually my first language XD;  
I'll let you read now :'D**

Miku sat on the couch, and as she observed the gorgeous woman's features, it only confirmed what she had realized the preceding night.  
She decided that she didn't care that she always had dreamt of 'prince charming' taking her away. She didn't care that her first time would be with a woman, even if Luka did seem to care, because her being in love was much more important than the gender of her partner. She also didn't care that Luka wasn't in love with her because Luka obviously did care a lot about her, and Miku was confident that if she ever got to be with Luka, the older woman would be kind, gentle and tender.  
The tension between them had been almost palpable since _that_ moment, it was even worse now that the two of them were alone in Luka's apartment. Miku knew they'd had to talk about it. At worse they'd clear the atmosphere, at best, something would happen again. She was pretty confident she had her chances because of how eagerly Luka had kissed her. Add to that, when they broke the kiss the first time, Luka had closed the distance again, offering more when she didn't have to. She had even seemed to be enjoying herself at that time, so couldn't be completely disgusted with what they had done, now could she? And if she wasn't… then it meant she could make it happen again. And now Miku was firmly decided she would make the opportunity, she would make Luka allow her to be close again… she would make her succumb to her.

But at the present time, all she could do was watch her back like a hawk as the tall woman sat down on the piano bench and prepared to let her hear what the melody would sound like. She scrutinized her silhouette, taking her beauty in as she currently could do so without Luka noticing. Her eyes followed every curve, every inch of skin her pale pink blouse and a-line white skirt let on, every movement she gracefully made.  
And then Luka started playing. Miku held her breath when her fingers hit the first solitary notes. She couldn't help but close her eyes, as the rest followed. The music resounded to the depth of her being, she knew right away Luka had found the right melody to express what they wanted this to be.

Miku only managed to breathe normally once Luka was done. "I love it." She whispered.

Their eyes met as the pink haired woman turned around to face her. "It's not done yet, and this is only the base for a more elaborate symphony, but I'm very glad you like it." The smile on her lips grew, relieved her partner approved. "The way the song is built, there are two verses, one chorus, two other verses, one more chorus, one bridge and lastly, two choruses… it's a pretty classic structure. We need to write the lyrics keeping this construction in mind."

Miku nodded and stood, walking to her. She went to stand behind her, and though she wanted nothing more than to slip her arms around her shoulders and pull her to her body, she managed to be still. "Can you write down separations for the verses on a copy of the partition? It would help a lot if I want to work at home." She bent over slightly, pretending to look more closely at the partition's sheets laid in front of Luka. In truth she simply wanted to be closer to the woman. Close enough to feel her presence, the warmth emanating from her body. She felt like a desperate love-sick puppy, but she couldn't help herself. Ever since Luka had kissed her, she really could think of nothing else.

Luka repressed shivers as Miku's long teal hair fell on her shoulder with the movement. She stayed very still, allowing her to take a look at the sheets. After a moment, she turned ever so slightly to be able to look at her face. Miku didn't look like she was focusing on the music; she looked like she was far off in lala land. Maybe thinking up lyrics?  
"Do you want to sit next to me?" She offered, moving to make room on the piano bench.

She acquiesced and sat her back to the piano, her eyes now on Luka's. "…Last time… at my place…" She started, finally bringing up what they both knew had to be talked about.  
"…." However, she was unable to articulate anymore. Miku had no idea what to say because she couldn't begin to explain what path she had went down and through since it had happened. She couldn't tell her she had lusted for her ever since. She couldn't tell her she had fallen in love with her somewhere along the way. But she knew they couldn't just ignore that it happened, and she knew she needed to find a way for it to happen again… and again.

Luka detached her eyes from Miku's, unable to bear her stare under the heavy silence. She observed her own hands on the keys. She dreaded this moment because she found it awfully hard to lie about who she was and how she felt…especially to the young woman sitting beside her. She would rather have avoided this altogether. If they had, she wouldn't have to fight to keep her mask on. She decided to fill the silence with a very quiet question, one that she had asked herself over and over. "…Was it your first kiss?"

Miku's eyes were fixed on the other woman's expression. She found it peculiar to see her looking so lost and…vulnerable. Luka who usually would tease her, Luka who would usually be in full control. Miku realized she was probably feeling guilty about what she had done. "…It was." She still confirmed, as quietly.

She seemed to recoil in pain. "…I'm so sorry. I really shouldn't have…" She whispered.

It was the first time she saw this look on her face, shame. Luka was so poised, calm, contained… she seemed the type of person to never make a mistake. Miku never thought she'd read this on the pink haired woman's features. "Don't be sorry, I asked you to…" She tried to prevent all the memories to flood back into her mind. Miku didn't want to lose the little composure she had.

Luka shook her head no. She, on her part, was losing it too quickly. "I still should have known better, hormones don't make you think straight and-"

"Exactly." Miku cut in, stopping her. She scooted a bit closer, and her bare arm was brushing against Luka's skin. Her warmth gave her shivers, and she could feel this drunken feeling making her head spin again. "If my hormones were running, it meant I did want to." She had no idea where she had found it in her to admit this.

Miku had a point and Luka could only stay silent.

Neither of them moved, not knowing what more to say or do. Only when she had slightly recovered did Miku sigh and turn her stare to look straight ahead of her. "…Play the opening of the song once more." She requested quietly, closing her eyes as she waited.

Luka nodded even if the young woman couldn't see her, and let her fingers run on the keyboard. The first quiet notes followed by the dramatic start, trailing off into what should be the first verse. Once she was done, Luka remained still for a minute, waiting for the song to sink in. Then she slowly turned to her again.  
Miku mirrored her movement in synch, but raised her head closer to the older woman's face, approaching very closely. Luka understood, and without thinking, entranced by the atmosphere the song had created, she bent slightly to close the distance between their lips. Both were very gentle, this kiss didn't reflect how much they both had been burning for it. Luka removed her right hand from the keyboard to rest it on Miku's as she moved even closer. Miku's fingers entwined with Luka's when she felt her hand on hers.  
They very slowly pulled from the kiss, and stayed with their eyes closed, about an inch apart from each other. To kiss had felt so natural after the experience that was this melody; neither of them felt uneasy, embarrassed, or even wondered why they did kiss. They felt no need to move away and didn't try to justify the action.

Miku still felt her breath against her lips, and really didn't want to open her eyes. This was her chance. "…more…" She murmured, leaning to her and kissing her again, so softly. And again. And again. She then felt Luka's hand release hers to caress her cheek and she stopped moving. Nervously, she opened her eyes and her gaze met Luka's.  
In a second, their lips were locked once more into a more heated kiss. Miku slowly climbed on the bench and crawled over to sit on Luka's lap, straddling her. She needed for the older woman to hold her, and she somehow knew Luka also needed to feel Miku's arms around her, her body against hers. With the younger woman's change into a more intimate position, their kiss intensified even more. Miku's body was on fire, more so than she had been last time they kissed, more so than the preceding night when she couldn't resist her urges. She guessed it was because she now not only understood what she wanted, but she was just this close to obtaining it. She only wished Luka would…  
Miku pulled away, breathing very heavily. Her eyes plunged in the other woman's, she brought both her hands to Luka's face, holding it and caressing her cheeks with her thumbs. "…Touch me…" She whispered, her hands going down her neck to her shoulders.

She was utterly shocked Miku would have the guts to ask her so straightforwardly, and there honestly was nothing she wanted more right now than to comply. But she remembered how tortured she had felt after their last time. Moreover, she knew she wouldn't forgive herself if she stole her first time. Especially if she did so under such unromantic circumstances, especially after she just learned she had already claimed her first kiss. Miku would later regret it, and Luka would be disgusted with herself.  
"…I … can't…" Luka painfully managed to answer against her own hunger. With Miku's body against hers, fitting as it did in her arms… it was everything she could to keep her hands from wandering.

Miku pushed her body closer; she felt the pink haired woman's breasts squeezed against her own chest, the pressure increased temporarily with each heaving breath Luka took. It drove her crazy. Her lips went to her neck, she kissed her incredibly soft, burning skin. Her arms around her, pulling her close, the silky pink hair in her hands…the young woman felt this intoxicated feeling take her over again. Luka's scent made her surrender herself with each and every breath. Lucidity and restrain were long out the door, she pushed for even more. "…Luka… Take me..." Her voice was almost inaudible.

But Luka heard it, and she shut her eyes very tightly. Her whole body shook with restrained need, it ached. She wanted to cry and scream, but her own voice wasn't much louder than the teal haired young woman's. "…I… I already took too much, Miku…"

Miku wasn't frustrated with the answers she got, even if she had wished for something else. She somewhat expected such replies.  
"Then…" She audaciously let her fingers brush up the other woman's stomach and ribs, stopping just before she got to what she wanted. "…then let me touch you…" She countered. This, she hoped the pink haired woman would give her.

Luka had stopped breathing. "….." Could she allow this?  
Her eyes searched Miku's, seeking any trace of doubt, but was met with nothing but hunger.  
Why she didn't want to touch her, why she didn't want to 'take' her was because it would be too easy for Miku to close her eyes and still go with the flow if she ended up not enjoying it. Luka was too scared she would end up feeling like she was abusing the younger woman if she had been the one taking the lead. But what Miku was asking now was to let her take matters into her own hands… this was a completely different story. She knew that in that case, Miku would simply stop at the point where she would have had enough. Indeed, she would be much more comfortable that way.  
But she knew she couldn't let herself be tempted. Even if Luka did nothing herself, she still did not find it fair for Miku if they went through with it...after all, Miku was young and experimenting. This was nothing but curiosity, and when she would be satisfied, when they would be done with their song…. Things would abruptly come to an end. And then Miku would bitterly regret having gotten so involved and having given her something so precious. So as willing as Miku was at this moment, Luka couldn't help but feel like it still wasn't fair, like she was taking advantage.  
Maybe, she thought, maybe if Miku understood Luka wasn't in the same… _position_ as her, she would be frightened enough to back down. Maybe if at least some part of the truth was revealed, Miku would be discouraged to pursue this. And so, it came out.  
"I like women." Luka blurted, pulling away from Miku's arms; she wanted to see her reaction.  
Seeing none, she tried again.  
"…I'm gay, Miku."

It took another moment for her to register the information. Her eyes widened just slightly. It was naïve, she now understood how much it was, but the idea had never even crossed her mind. She had seriously thought Lily had been some sort of phase, that Luka was really straight, and what they were doing… well Miku had somewhere at the back of her mind decided not to analyze that. Luka was too feminine, too refined, too elegant, too delicate… she was the perfect idea of the woman. The one every man dreamed about. She just didn't look 'like that'. But then again… these were all pre-conceptions society pushed into one's mind. You really shouldn't judge a book by its cover. "…really?" She could only mutter.

Luka felt sick. Of course Miku was shocked, the poor girl had simply thought of this as some exciting little experiment. She didn't expect to be playing this game with someone who would be perversely taking advantage of her curiosity. Luka immediately felt like she had cheated her, like she was nothing but a dirty liar, a deceiving hypocrite. But she nodded.

The teal haired young woman cocked her head to the side, but otherwise, her body hadn't budged an inch, and certainly not away from her. "…..why didn't you telling me? why _now_?"

Miku should have been off her by now and it stressed her that she wasn't getting the reaction she expected. She felt the young woman straddling her was nothing but a ticking bomb. "…I didn't… want you to think I've taken advantage of you if... no, _when_ you did realize it." Luka had known it was only a matter of time before Miku understood her preferences, but she would have rather her not learn this brusquely, and especially not in such a delicate situation. Her eyes still searched Miku's, wanting to convey her concerns.  
"I want you to know… I'm not like you. I'm not… simply experiencing. This is… it's… … what I want out of other women. It's my nature." She truthfully explained. Luka felt liberated, she might never again be able to hold Miku against her, but at least she would never feel like she was deceiving ever again.

It took another moment for Miku to respond, the wheels in her head weren't turning very fast, slowed as they were by remnants of lust and surprise. "What about Kamui-san?" She murmured, her expression still unreadable.

She somewhat expected this, she had played his game too long for him not to be brought up. "He doesn't know. No one knows, I… I ever only told… my mother." She looked pained as she said this, and Miku didn't understand why. "Lily had guessed… i-it seems she knew even before I did and… helped me understand myself." Luka sighed, her gaze dropping in shame. She was very surprised Miku hadn't pulled away yet, and was particularly conscious of how her hands still stayed very, very close to her chest. "Gakupo… he seems really into me. But…me… …I played along because our manager asked me to … but I'm… I could only bear it because his looks are so feminine."  
There it was: the absolute, complete and undisclosed truth.

"Oh. I see." Miku's voice was low; her eyes were still on Luka's, even if the other woman wasn't looking at her anymore. Miku genuinely felt concerned and heartbroken for her.  
It really wasn't fair that she had to deal with all this. Miku herself was straight and yet she was _exasperated_ with just having to play along with Kaito… she couldn't begin to imagine how Luka felt. Having to touch, to kiss someone she was repulsed by. But…. She realized things were bound to rapidly change, with the job they were on. Now Luka would have to pretend to like _her_, not Gakupo. Surely, Luka would rather….because she liked women….she surely was having more pleasure kissing her than kissing Gakupo. Surely she couldn't be repulsed by how close Miku would be… or was. Like she was now.  
"So… you're enjoying this?" Miku confirmed, motioning at her position straddling her. She bent slowly to rest her forehead against hers. "… You… you weren't just being nice and bearing with my… weird behavior."

Luka was so embarrassed she felt her whole body blush. How… humiliating.  
But she owed Miku the truth, and she raised her eyes to meet hers. "I… I am enjoying it. A lot." It was everything she could to hold her gaze; Luka felt exposed and incredibly defenseless as she admitted this. To top it all, she was more and more confused Miku wasn't backing off in the slightest.

Miku smiled.  
"Well, then everything's fine!" She declared before kissing her. Luka was too stunned to kiss her back.  
She tried again, and she felt the other woman push her away cautiously. Miku met her eyes, and saw how questioning and puzzled they were. She could understand why, of course. Miku knew very well she couldn't just go and announce something like that without any explanation, and expect everything would be peachy and they'd just get on with it. She knew she owed Luka a bit more insight on her feelings, especially after hearing such a confession. She straightened herself.  
"Luka, I… I…made my mind to… …pursue this with you… without knowing you were… …gay. I had decided I wanted you to be my first... 'cause I really like what I got to experience with you." She started, and she saw her expression shift to embarrassed surprise. Miku gulped.  
"It doesn't change anything to me…I don't care about your… preferences. I don't feel like you're taking advantage of me. In fact, I'm just glad to know you're not forcing yourself to do this for me. I like to know you're getting real pleasure from… from…" She motioned to their position again. "Being like this… with me. With another woman…"  
Luka seemed to relax slowly as she listened to what she had to say, and Miku was very glad to see her do so. She knew she couldn't tell her she wanted her because she was in love with her, but she decided to continue at least to make her understand she really _did_ want her.  
"T-to tell the truth, I never looked at another woman before I met you." She explained, her fingers finally moving again, brushing on her ribs and down her stomach. "…it may not be my everyday… I… may never be attracted to a woman ever again, but by god, believe me… I… I… when it's you… if it's you…" She really didn't know how to say this. "…my whole body is on fire when I'm remotely _close_ to you."

The pink haired woman was very aware of how Miku's fingers were playing much too low on her stomach. "I saw how you looked at me." She commented.

Miku flinched at her remark, her cheeks darkening a few more shades. "…you did, huh?" She sighed.

"..You were getting more and more obvious each time we saw each other." Luka answered. She really hadn't wanted to think about it too much then, blaming a teenage crush, blaming admiration and most of all blaming her wishful thinking, but she had seen her stares.

"Well then you understand how serious I am, don't you?" Miku managed to catch herself very fast and turn this at her advantage. "… Let me touch you?" She was amazed at how easy it had been for her to ask this time around. Maybe Luka's confession eased it for her? Or maybe she just wanted her that badly…

Luka's expression fell, she couldn't believe it. Miku was asking again, and she had yet to answer her.  
She gulped, feeling herself slip. She wanted her too much to be able to push her away yet again.  
Coming out to her clearly wasn't enough to make her back down, it even seemed to encourage her… and besides confessing she was in love with her, she had no other valid reason to offer to push her away. Telling her she simply wasn't attracted to her would be a blatant lie, Miku already understood she was. So she resigned herself, deciding she could indulge at least a little bit. Luka was pretty convinced that a little petting would do the trick anyways… Miku surely wasn't as ready as she seemed to let on. She'd chicken out before things got too serious.  
"…alight… do as you wish…" She whispered, slightly nervous.

Miku's smile widened and she raised both hands to Luka's collar; she started unbuttoning her light pink blouse. She did see Luka's surprise at her movement. The other woman probably had been thinking she would have enough with some light touching through her clothing. But Miku decided she would take the opportunity fully, since she was told to do 'as she wished'. And what she wished for wasn't something so inoffensive. She wanted to see her, feel the heat directly, experience her smooth skin… and maybe even taste her.  
As skin was quickly being uncovered, her giddy smile erased itself to let lust take over again. She had unbuttoned her blouse and now she held her breath as she undid the final button. Very slowly, she brought her hands back up to her shoulders and opened the garment, letting it fall down to the ground.  
Miku took in the body she had just exposed. Luka was perfect. Her fair skin was immaculate, it showed no scar or imperfection. She was so slim, and yet no bones showed, she looked very healthy and her breasts were so full. They looked so firm yet so soft. Luka also looked incredible in the expensive-looking white lace bra she wore. Miku never knew lingerie could look so good…her heart beat faster than ever.  
"…You're so beautiful…" She whispered as she started brushing her fingers on the exposed shoulders. She let them follow lower and lower. The pale, smooth skin under her hands amazed her, and how soft and warm the flesh felt was even more marvelous.

Luka had no idea why the young woman had set her mind to do this or how it had gotten so far. But what she saw in Miku's eyes read loud and clear. Luka didn't doubt for a single moment that she desired her, she couldn't understand a straight girl would enjoy this. She didn't enjoy touching men… so why was Miku enjoying touching her?  
Confusion was preventing her to let go completely. Not to mention, even having let things slip to that point, she still couldn't shake the 'taking advantage' feeling. Even if Miku had told her she wasn't feeling exploited. Even if a huge load had been taken off her shoulders when she admitted to the younger girl she was a lesbian. Even if now Miku understood it was normal Luka had these desires… She still didn't know Luka was allowing this because she was in love with her. Miku thought this was purely hormones, and harmless pleasure. Miku had no idea there were emotions at stake too. If she knew, surely…Miku would give up.  
…However, and this was what made her feel even guiltier; she was powerless to stop her this time around. She had been dying for Miku to touch her, and now that her small hands were running on her chest, all the culpability in the world couldn't make her say a word to stop her. It ate at her, but she could bear her guilt as long as Miku was satisfied with this.

Miku traced the lace edge of the bra with her fingers, paused and cupped her breasts in her hands. The fabric of the bra somewhat was in the way and she wrapped her arms around her to undo the clasp of the bra. She then pulled back, slowly taking the straps and dragging them down her arms.

Luka hadn't expected Miku to undress her, and surely hadn't expected her to undress her this far. She was quickly being taken out of her comfort zone. She crossed her arms on her chest, retaining the small piece of fabric to her.

Miku massaged her arms and shoulders, trying to relax her. "Let me, please…" She murmured, encouragingly.

She bit her lip. "This isn't... I just… You're not supposed to want this." She whispered back, still completely baffled by the turn of events. But Miku's hands massaging her undeniably were calming her and swaying her. She looked into her eyes, hesitant. "Are you absolutely _sure _you want this?... I don't want you to feel... repulsed, afterwards..."

"I won't." Miku brought both hands to her cheeks, kissing her lightly. "I won't be. I can promise you." Luka then closed her eyes in acceptance, and the young woman mouthed a silent 'I love you' against her lips before she pulled her in for another kiss.  
As Luka kissed her back, Miku's fingers brushed against her skin, down her shoulders again. She pushed down the straps and threw the garment to the ground. The pink haired woman almost broke the kiss when she felt her torso completely exposed, but Miku brought back a hand to her cheek to remind her to concentrate on their kiss. She didn't want her to be distracted or embarrassed. Her other hand slowly traced back to her chest and she cupped one of her breasts, pushing gently. The feel was beyond what she had imagined, and she kissed her more hungrily than ever. She moved her hand slowly and felt the tip harden. She responded by squeezing her nipple lightly between her thumb and index. Between kisses, a low moan escaped Luka's lips, Miku felt a wave of heat overpower her. She didn't know how it could be, but she felt even more turned on. Her other hand went to her other breast, and she did it again and again, massaging, squeezing. Their lips ended up only brushing against each other's, allowing Luka to breathe and gasp.  
Miku had opened her eyes to watch the other woman's pleased expression as she tried not to squirm, tried to muffle any sound, when her whole body shivered from such light touch. And when Luka raised her gaze to meet hers, Miku's eyes widened. This was the look she couldn't place, as Luka had tied the pink butterfly around her neck, as Luka had talked about her body outside their manager's office. It was undeniably a mix of need and hunger, this flicker in her eyes was lust. Luka had visibly wanted her before Miku even realized she was attracted to her.  
Miku stopped what she was doing to hug her tightly. She ran her hands down the other woman's naked back, pushing against her, feeling her hot, now heaving breath against her neck, and Miku couldn't take anymore. If Luka had wanted her for this long, then she indeed had no reasons to hold back. She slowly pulled away to look at her again, searching for a last confirmation before she took this another step. And seeing her still shivering, eyes glazed from the experience, her naked chest rising up and down heavily with each breath… Miku thought to herself that this was it. She pulled her own shirt over her head and threw it to the ground, immediately dragging the other woman back into her arms. Skin against skin, feeling Luka's arms hugging her back, she was reminded of the first time Luka held her; she was melting into her again. It felt so right. This was where she belonged. "…forget everything else, forget everyone else." She whispered, caressing her hair. "Show me what you'd do with… the woman you love…"

A part of her would simply not let go, her sense of right and wrong still anchoring her away from what she wanted. "…No… …I… can't show you something like that…" The pink haired woman muttered. But her lips brushed against her neck and she kissed her skin slowly as Miku played in her hair, encouraging her. She worked her way down on the younger woman's modest chest until her lips reached the fabric of her bra. She kissed the skin between the two small mounds. "…I can't do that…" She breathed heavily, hating how far she was letting things slide, hating how she wasn't listening to the last bit of morals that ate at her.

Miku reached to unclasp her own bra, letting it slowly slip off. "…let's pretend we really are lovers?" She implored, desperate for Luka's lips to explore further. "..please…"

She wanted to look at her naked chest, she wanted to continue kissing her skin until she had tasted every inch of her but Luka somehow managed to stay immobile, eyes closed, her lips still against her skin. "We can't." She felt her whole body tremble. How was she supposed to resist when the one she loved offered herself to her? _Twice_? She felt like crying again. She felt she had done nothing so bad she deserved to suffer the way she did. Life was too cruel. It was unfair. She really, really wanted to cry. "We can't..." She repeated, her voice breaking a bit.

"Why can't we…?" Miku whispered her answer. She knew Luka hadn't agreed to return her caresses, but she also could see how much she wanted to, despite her protests. Miku understood very well that what made her object wasn't the lack of desire, but the crushing weight of what the other woman thought to be morally just. And on Miku's part… she didn't think any piece of it was unjust. So she decided to push even more, confident Luka would eventually throw all her barriers away and relish in her. She took her hand in hers and guided it up her thigh, under her skirt. But before Luka could touch how burningly hot and moist she was, she felt her resist, stopping her movement.

Luka took a deep, shivering breath and looked up at the younger woman. "Th-this has gone too far. You're getting carried away." She tried to sound firm, but a tear still ran down her cheek. "It needs to stop…" She added in a murmur.

"L-Luka..?" Miku was staggered, all traces of lust was out the door. "Oh my god…" She hugged her tightly, one hand at the back of her head, soothingly stroking her hair.  
Miku hadn't realized how great of a fight had been raging inside Luka up until now. She had felt Luka's lust in the way she touched her, kissed her, looked at her, but she also saw how torn she was feeling about what they had been doing. It had been her mind against her body… and her body had just lost, but not without a price. Now the older woman was shaking terribly and she seemed to fight for every single breath she took. "I'm sorry…!" Miku hated herself for having inflicted this on her.

"…T-this isn't right… I shouldn't… You're not supposed to…" She mumbled incoherently, exhaling deeply as she returned Miku's embrace. She felt the tears run down her cheeks, and she knew her expression frozen into stunned disbelief would soon turn to pained and distressed. She didn't want Miku to see it, so she buried her face in her neck, in the teal hair. "…I can't… …I feel so, so guilty…" Her throat was tight and talking was painful.

Miku shook her head vigorously. "…Don't, I'm the one… I'm so sorry I pushed for this, if you don't want to I-"

"I want to!" Luka sobbed, holding her tighter than she ever had. "I want it…! I want _you_ so, so badly! I-.. I have since the v-very first day!" She was deeply ashamed, but she couldn't keep this to herself anymore. Luka could feel Miku's fingers in her hair, trying to sooth her. "…I… I'm sorry… I know… It's not my place to… I'm not a man… I sh-shouldn't have… it's wrong, b-but I can't help it…"

"…It's not wrong…" She could only answer as she tightened her grip too. Miku held back her own tears. She wondered what had happened to her for Luka to think her feelings were so wrong. Whoever put in her head she couldn't want another woman, Miku wanted to kill them. "It's not wrong!" She shut her eyes, her fingers almost digging in the naked flesh of her back so tight she clutched her. "It's fine! I like that you want me!" She kissed her head, trying her best to comfort her. She never thought she'd see Luka cry, and she never, ever thought she'd be the one to cause her to. "Don't feel bad about it… There's no problem…"

She shook her head. She wouldn't argue about how right or how wrong homosexuality was. She knew it wasn't her fault and she knew she shouldn't be feeling ashamed. The reality though, was that these awful feelings were there, she felt abnormal and hated it. But these feelings weren't the main reason she held back with Miku. "I… still, I… can't let you… I can't let this… I can't be your first. Not when… not when you're not…like _that_… like_ me_." She said it with such revulsion, she couldn't help herself. "You should be… it should be with a man… and….especially..." She took a big shivering breath, relaxing her grip on her. "I can't let your first time… I can't let this happen knowing it's only lust… knowing there's no love... You deserve better."

_But it's both. I do love you._  
Miku didn't dare say it out loud. She couldn't tell Luka she was in love with her; it would only serve to make her feel worse. It would make Luka feel she had abused Miku's feelings on top of taking advantage of her impulsive desires. That she had used her feelings to get to her body.  
Miku understood that because of Luka's preferences, she had lusted for her. But Luka obviously felt so bad, so guilty for having had these desires towards her… So if on top of that Miku told her… Luka would never forgive herself. She kissed her forehead. "…I understand…" She whispered, running her hand through her hair. She felt Luka take a hold of herself quite quickly, calming down as fast as she had slipped. "I'm so sorry I pushed even as you said no…" She rested her head on top of hers, the pink hair so soft against her cheek. She couldn't tell her her feelings, but she knew she couldn't just stay silent.  
"I told you I had never looked at another woman before, let alone considered being with a one…. but when I met you... everything about you…. Makes me lose control… I… I didn't mean to force you into…" She tried to explain her pushy behavior, but she couldn't begin to explain how right it felt to her on every level when they were together. Not without using the love word. "I never felt like this with _anyone_. No man ever… never, ever made me feel remotely close to how I feel when I'm with you…" Miku finished quietly. This was the closest she could confess without actually confessing.

_This sounds like love._  
Luka thought right away, wiping her eyes. She was suddenly scared the younger woman might really be falling for her. But she didn't dare believe it. Miku being in love with her would be too good to be true. Miku being in love with her would be too much of a mess. "You must be confusing… you're confused…" She decided to deny everything.

Miku shook her head vigorously and pulled away to look at her. She wanted the older woman to be conscious of her present reality. "No. No, no.. I'm _very_ aware, I'm not confused. You have to understand…! I… I think of you all the time, I… have _those _dreams concerning you, and I have them almost every night! In these dreams… … you've already done to me everything two women can do…" She murmured, running her fingers in her bangs. She knew she probably sounded obsessed and what she said probably was inappropriate, but if it was what it took for Luka to accept she truthfully was enthralled with her, that she wasn't in the least bit confused, then so be it. "When you're near me… all I can think of is kissing you… all I… I… …I want…you so much…! Like I've never wanted anyone else! I don't know what to do with myself... I-I've…done…things…I… …Even if you're a woman… you're the most beautiful, and… and desirable being I've ever set my eyes on." She wrapped her arms around her neck and pulled her against her again, feeling the need to feel her naked skin against hers. Her forehead rested against hers, and even if Luka's eyes were red from crying, she still thought they were the most beautiful in the world.

"…." She held her breath, hearing the truth. Her eyes searched Miku's, unbelieving.  
_She's in love with me. Does she understand she is?  
_That she would actually experience such feelings towards her… let alone tell her…. was quite unreal to her. But as lengthy as her explanation was, Miku hadn't told her she was in love with her… and Luka thought a young woman like her surely would get all fired up and confess if she had realized her feelings. Luka thought she still had time. She was faced with two options. Egoistically let Miku discover her feelings, have her for what surely would be a short period of time, let her risk her present reality and maybe her whole future… or push her away before it was indeed too late. Having lived with this burden, having experienced the prejudice… she sincerely wished to spare Miku this if she could.  
"…Maybe we should… not see each other so much…" She concluded, still wondering if it was too late to turn back the clock.

The teal haired young woman watched the diva slowly close herself, withdrawing in a shell to keep her out. She was horrified. She absolutely did not want to lose what they had built and shared."…Don't do this." She said in disbelief.

Luka shook her head, slowly helping Miku off of her to be able to move."…Things can't go on the way they are… it's unhealthy." She picked up Miku's shirt and bra, handing them back to her as she avoided looking at her exposed chest.

"…we have to work on this song." Miku countered, letting her move away, too absorbed in what to say to reason her. Luka then bent to pick up her own blouse and she slipped it on without putting her bra. She started buttoning it up, but her movement slowed considerably as she thought through what she was about to say. Miku didn't let her try to explain her sudden negative response. She was so hurt, she felt she would die if Luka ended their current relationship for it to turn into a business only one. "…please, please don't… don't pull away… If you care about me…"

"I do, I care very deeply for you! That's why you _have _to listen." Luka stopped buttoning her shirt in her outburst, and her trembling hands now wouldn't let her finish. "It's not too late for us to step back… We have to forget about today… and the other day…" Her voice was also shaking.

"..." Miku shook her head no slowly. How could she forget?

Luka stayed silent a short moment, wondering how she could say what she needed to say. She stepped closer again. "…Miku, if we… descend down that road, there would be no turning back. We can't let this happen… Do you… understand that?"

"….What do you mean?" She quietly inquired further, clutching her shirt against her naked body.

She sighed deeply, nervous. "I wouldn't have been able to go back to a… ….friendly relationship. And… the way you were talking… had we gone any further, I don't think you would have either. We couldn't. We wouldn't want to. We would be too attached to each other…too emotionally involved. _You understand_, don't you?" It was the best she could explain without saying it bluntly.

Miku understood, but she wanted to confirm it. "… …Are you saying-"

"Don't say it." She cut in with a warning. She didn't want them to bring up love, it would be a fatal blow. "You don't have to pick the hard path. You can still forget this and live a normal life, so let's leave it at that."

"… …" Miku's eyes dropped to the ground.

"We…We can't do this again. Ever." She concluded very quietly.

"…I… I understand." Miku reached out slowly, taking the other woman's hand in hers. She raised her gaze to meet hers, and she saw her watery eyes mirrored her own. She knew Luka wasn't forbidding them this because she wanted to. She knew… she had said too much, and Luka had guessed her feelings. And… her own guess at Luka's response was that Luka might also be in love with her. But Miku knew the older woman was right. Being together in this world was pretty much impossible. She understood very well what Luka was trying to accomplish by forbidding any confirmation of their feelings and prohibiting any inappropriate touch. If they never talked about it, if they never confessed, if they pretended it wasn't there… it might not be too late for it to disappear. She understood this is what Luka wanted. She understood Luka was trying to push her back to what one would consider a normal life. But the thought of not being able to close the distance between them anymore scared her and hurt her like she never thought it could.  
"Kiss me one last time…" She pleaded, squeezing very softly her hand in hers.

"…" Luka's expression softened and she sat back down next to her on the piano bench. She also wanted this kiss, and so she leaned in, her hand going to her cheek. She felt her hand wet from Miku's tears, and couldn't hold back her own.

**- continued in ch.7  
**  
**Drama, I love drama.  
I got a lot to deal with irl, but I'll try updating somewhere in the middle of next week :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**First of firsts. ****I want to thank Uta Refson, my brand new and shiny beta-reader, who did a terrific and real fast job! :3  
I also want to thank my reviewers, I get all excited every time I get a review alert HAHAHAHA OTL  
And then…well I'm not sorry for the drama, even if it let you hanging 8D  
**_**Magnet**_** makes it clear they've suffered quite a lot before they let themselves be together (the attraction was too intense 8D). So brace yourself 'cause I do intend to make them go through a lot. :3**

**On with the story**

Miku lay on her stomach on the floor of their living room staring a math book. She cast a glance over at her roommate, who was set up in pretty much the same fashion as she was, in the spot next to her. The girl seemed ready to rip her hair right out of her scalp between fits of mental wrestling, while Miku just couldn't concentrate. She couldn't ever since she had stepped out of Luka's apartment five days ago. She didn't sleep right, she was never hungry, and ate only when she felt dizzy. Miki hadn't noticed, but Miku knew it was only a matter of time before she realized something was wrong with her. She closed her book, dropping her pen. "I'm in love with Luka."

Silence.

Miki didn't move for a moment. Slowly she turned to her, one eyebrow furrowed into what would have been a light frown if her movement had been symmetrical. "Aren't you just confusing-"

"Don't. Don't give me that, I'm not." She stopped her before she could say anymore. Why did everyone think she couldn't recognize her own feelings? "Listen, I know for sure because I… …just seeing her makes my day. Her presence is enough to give me shivers…I want to experience her, _everything_ about her, her smile, her tears… I want to be the only one she sees. You already know I dream about her, and I… I do so every night. Every time I close my eyes… she's there. Her voice, her warmth, her touch… her… body…" Miku sighed, just thinking about it made her skin tingle. "Miki, this is…it's _for real_." She raised her gaze to meet her friend's. "Am I… weird?"

"…" Miki's expression changed from astonished to compassionate. "I guess we did learn that the princess should fall in love with the prince…. So you _would _feel like you're… …" She pouted and rolled to her friend without finishing her sentence, surprising Miku as she attached herself to her like a koala to a tree. "I don't know if you're weird… you're just you. I wouldn't change you for the world."

Miku's eyes watered and she hugged her back. She didn't know how her other friends would take it, if they ever were to become aware of her feelings. She was especially scared about Rin's reaction, but she expected no less from Miki. Though even having expected such an answer, it deeply moved her to confirm that they would still be alright. She hugged her tighter. "I wouldn't change you either." She sobbed.

"Miku..?" As soon as she heard the tone of Miku's voice, she panicked. "Don't cry..!" Almost instantly, Miki also had big tears rolling down her cheeks. Seeing others shed tears deeply affected her, and it was even worse when it was Miku crying. "Why are we crying?" She added, sniffling.

"… 'Cause I love you, dim-wit." She laughed through her tears, and ruffled the red hair. Miku wiped her eyes and quickly took a hold of herself, but she knew it would take much longer for Miki to do so, it always did. It was more or less ten minutes before the situation was back to normal.

Miki rested her head in her hand. Her eyes were still slightly red, but otherwise, her smile was back. "Sooooo… Do you think you got any chances with her?"

Miku was obviously ready to tell her everything about herself, but it wasn't her place to out her when Luka wasn't ready for it to be known. Miku couldn't even tell Miki. She now understood very well why Lily had kept her relationship with Luka a secret. She thought for a moment and decided against answering with something like 'maybe, since she's a lezzie.'  
"We've kissed." She finally came out with, really unsure how Miki would take it.

"….You have?" The girl blinked a few times, seemingly _very _interested. "How was it?"

She was glad to get a positive reaction. "…I can't even begin to explain… It makes me go warm all over, and I feel like nothing else matters." Miku let a longing sigh escape her lips. "Her lips are _so_soft, and… I'm not sure if it's her lipstick, but I can always taste a very faint sweetness I can't get enough of."

"Always? Can't get enough?" Miki raised her eyebrows very high, her smile incredulous. "It was more than once?"

"… er...yeah." Miku confirmed quietly. Miki brought a hand to her O-shaped mouth, looking quite excited. Encouraged, Miku decided to tell a little more. "It was on two occasions, but I… honestly can't say how many times I got to kiss her… I can't stop once I've started. And last time, we almost-" She watched her best friend's jaw drop slowly, and her expression become more and more unbelieving, she stopped herself. She looked down a moment, then back up at her, suddenly feeling embarrassed. "…You're… sure you want to know?"

Miki nodded. Everything about her expressed how eager and curious she was.

Miku closed her eyes, summoning the events in her mind. A shiver traveled down her spine as the memory of Luka slowly lowered herself to her chest as she trailed kisses on her skin. She shook her head briskly; she couldn't be thinking about that now, it made her body go out of control. Plus, she was absolutely sure Miki didn't want or need to hear such precise details. "I uh… we…. I got to see… and touch her… a bit." She mumbled. "No tops." She added, motioning to her chest area.

Miki bounced up to sit and towered above her lying friend. She leaned in to look at her more closely. "Are her boobs real?"

"…" Miku was shocked.

The redhead's eyes were large and eager. "I mean, they're so BIG, and they look so firm. You got to touch, right? Are they REAL?"

"…I believe they are." She couldn't believe her best friend. Miku knew that for her part, whether another woman's breasts were natural or enlarged by a procedure, the thought never crossed her mind. She never really understood how Miki's mind worked. Sometimes she acted like a six-year-old child, and at other times she sounded like a hormonal teenage boy. Miki whistled. Miku knew that mimic. It was a mimic their blond neighbor was notorious for using. She then decided that Miki sounding like a hormonal teenage boy was Lily's fault.

"Wow. Then she really is perfect." The redhead commented, lying back down, a huge grin plastered on her face. "She must really like you if she let you touch." She added, closing her own exercise book.

She stayed still for a short moment, unsure. "I… I think she… … " Miku couldn't help but think back on their last conversation… and on the last kiss they shared. Her mouth quickly became dry and there was a lump in her throat. "…if… if I got it right… I… …I think she might also…" A shivering sigh escaped her lips. "…love me…"

Miki frowned and rolled on her side to watch her, worried about the way her last comment sounded. "… You think? Then why don't you get together?"

Miku wished everything could be that simple. "Most people aren't like you, Miki… It's stupid, and I hate it, but because we're both women… lots of people will disapprove..."

The redhead kept staring at her, but it didn't look like she understood the stakes. "What do you care what people say?"

"I do care what my friends and parents will say..!" She knew her body was shaking. The idea of telling them she loved a woman frightened her to the point of being completely mortified. She wished she was strong enough not to care, but the more she thought about it, the scarier it was. "And, I mean… in the business we're in, what people think is everything. We may lose our jobs too… I think she doesn't want to risk all this because she thinks I'd eventually grow out of it anyways. Maybe she doesn't really understand how... deep my feelings run. She… seems to hope that I'll get over her." She finished quietly.

Miki blinked. "….So do you love her or not?"

Miku stared back at her a second. That indeed should be the only thing that matters, she realized. "…You're right, I… sound stupid. It shouldn't be any more complicated than that." She sighed, turning on her back to stare at the ceiling. "I just don't know if I'm strong enough to face the consequences."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Her eyes were dazed and she knew it was obvious she hadn't slept much. She knew her friends, even if most of them had yet to say something, had started noticing the state she was in. That morning as she exited her home, the tall blond living next door had been out smoking on her balcony and threatened that if she didn't drop by after school to talk to her, she'd break into Miku's apartment and camp in her room until she did talk. So as Miku left school early, too tired to endure the end of this week's last day, she made her way to Lily's place instead of her own. She stopped in front of her neighbor's door and frowned. Miku could hear another voice in her apartment, and she knew because of the sounds what Lily was doing and who she was probably doing it with. She was almost two hours early; the blond wasn't expecting her yet.  
She knew that the door was probably unlocked because every time Lily invited her over, she left it that way so Miku could let herself in. Now, Miku knew… prying was bad, she knew she shouldn't, but she really wanted to see what Lily's girlfriend looked like and she was scared that if she came back later, the woman would have left already. Curiosity got the better of her and she braced herself for what she'd see. She turned the knob and poked her head in. "…Lily? I'm here to-" She trailed off, her mouth hung open.

The scene wasn't as bad as she expected. They were lying on the couch, but both were fully dressed. The blond was on top, holding down her lover's hands with one hand, her other deep in the other woman's jeans. Both turned to Miku.

Lily couldn't help her chuckling. "…you're early." She pulled her hand out of her lover's panties and started getting off of her.

"… …I… had no idea." Miku didn't even glance at Lily, her eyes were on the short-haired woman redoing the zipper of her pants as she sat.

Lily laughed again, louder, oblivious to Meiko's embarrassment. "Come on, how did you _not_ expect this?" She sucked her fingers clean in a swift movement and Meiko threw a pillow at her.

"Don't do that in front of her!" She hissed. "God, you're so vulgar!"

Miku didn't even register what the blond had done; her shock-meter had already been busted with her discovery. She wondered how she didn't think of this possibility. At the same time, she never suspected Meiko had these tendencies. "B-but I thought… that… uh… how- how long..?"

Lily looked back at the woman on the couch, still standing next to her. "…er… five months? That's about right?"

Meiko nodded, her face in her hands burning from shame.

Miku just couldn't believe it. "…S-sorry if I sound stupid, but… but what about Kaito?" These last weeks when they were backstage, he and Meiko really looked like they had become an item.

"Oh, she's dating both of us." Lily simply said, motioning for Miku to sit.

Miku wordlessly sat on the other couch across from them in a somewhat mechanical movement. "…" She stared at Meiko.

"It's complicated." The short haired woman offered, looking self-conscious and uncomfortable.

"No, it's not really." Lily nonchalantly countered, running her fingers through the short brown hair. "You like both so you get twice as much as everyone else."

"No! You make it sound like I'm a nymphomaniac." Meiko grunted, swatting her hand away from her. She exhaled deeply and turned back to Miku, looking straight into her eyes. "…Lily knew I was in love with Kaito, but she still… tried."

"And obviously succeeded." The blond added, seemingly proud.

Meiko ignored her. "…As you can understand, it happened before him and I started dating." She specified for Miku.

"So I was there first." Lily felt the need to be precise.

"But I loved him first." Meiko glared at her and Lily raised both hands in the air in a defensive manner.

So it really was a bit complicated, Miku realized. Meiko hadn't just thrown that as a dismissive excuse. The young woman was starting to realize how complicated life in general was. It didn't resume to something as easy as boy meets girl, they fall in love, get married and live happily ever after. That's the only pattern she had thought of, up until she met Luka almost two months ago. "… … Does he know about… you two?"

"God no!" Lily rolled her eyes. "He's too much of a prude."

Meiko's crimson eyes were on the floor. "…How can I tell him? He's too sweet, he wouldn't understand. He'd be heartbroken." She shook her head and stood abruptly, replacing her clothes. "…look I'll… I'll go. I know you two had some plans." She briskly walked to the door to put on her coat and shoes.

Lily's eyes widened slightly. "Hey! What's wrong?" She followed her to the door.

"…" Meiko sighed and gave her a look.

It seemed to be enough for the blond to understand. "…I get it, we'll talk later." She replaced her coat's collar for Meiko. "A kiss before you go." Her request was too firm to really be called a request.

The short haired woman was hesitant. "But Miku-chan's…" She glanced at her.

"I don't mind." Miku simply stated, watching them.

"She just saw worse." Lily added, reminding her how Miku had surprised them.

"…." Meiko looked slightly awkward. She still leaned up, Lily being about three inches taller, and kissed her. It wasn't a quick bye-bye kiss, nor a lustful one, but a surprisingly intimate and lingering one. Meiko's features relaxed considerably, all the tension and anxiousness she seemed to be feeling ever since Miku had caught them, melted away.

Even having done such things with Luka, it was the first time Miku actually saw two women kiss. She was surprised she didn't find it uncomfortable, and realized she even thought they looked nice together. Most of all, she was amazed that she found the air about them to be gentle because it really wasn't like either of them to be gentle.  
Meiko then excused herself and Lily closed the door behind her, turning back to her new guest. She wordlessly sat in front of her, where Meiko had been sitting a moment ago.

"…S-so it was her all along… And we had no idea." Miku stared at her, still dumbfounded.

"Yep." Lily crossed her legs as she leaned back into the sofa.

"… it doesn't bother you that she's… also seeing Kaito?" She asked curiously. Miku knew she wouldn't be able to deal with it if her partner was seeing someone else, whether they were male or female.

She shrugged. "Not really. It's just that I don't get to see her as often as I did."

"…But… but if my… I know I couldn't take it…" She tried to explain, but she knew she didn't need to as Lily shook her head at her.

"...Meiko and I aren't in love." Lily started, sighing. "That's why she didn't hold back when he asked her out. She's in love with him, I know she was for… I don't know, forever. For my part… I don't know, we get along real well and I think she's really hot. I guess it happened because we do care for each other, and it was convenient at that time. But now she feels bad about leaving me 'cause she was with me first…and I won't be the one to cut it off 'cause I'm not the one with the dilemma. And 'cause I freakin' love the way she fucks."

Miku blushed and looked down. "You really _are_ a bad role model, you know that?"

Lily shrugged again. "I get it." She then grinned, uncrossing her legs and leaning towards Miku, her elbows resting on her knees. "But hey, you haven't run away from me yet!" She joked.

"You're still my friend." The young woman retorted, looking quite serious. She knew that despite everything, Lily was a good person.

"Yeah…" The blond stayed silent a short instant, sizing her up. "…and your friend thinks you look like shit. What happened?"

"….I… it's…. I don't know how to… say this." Miku knew she would inevitably have to tell her. She was ashamed to explain what happened, but she knew Lily would probably be the only one who could ease her mind. "…it's Luka… I… we…. …. When I went to her place….. …."

She frowned, deeply worried. She knew it wasn't like the pink haired woman to overstep her boundaries, but she still asked. "…Luka did something?"

"No!" Miku was a bit offended, but she instantly calmed down. "….No. Luka's been perfect in every way." She sighed, her voice now more quiet. "It was me."

" You?" Lily looked surprised.

"Everything went to hell." Miku confirmed. She felt tears well up in her eyes, and her hands balled into fists.

The blond couldn't imagine what the younger woman could have done that would have upset Luka enough for their relationship to collapse. After all, Luka was a very open and accepting person…and moreover, she was in love with Miku, she'd forgive anything. "Tell me what happened?" Lily stood and moved to sit on the low coffee table that was between the two sofas. She now sat directly in front of her, looking closely at her face.

Miku watched her for a moment, and then looked down at her hands. "I…" She took a deep breath, her cheeks burning. "I… _forced _her." She didn't see another way to put it.

Lily frowned, unsure what Miku meant exactly. She assumed the young woman must've misinterpreted something. "I don't believe that." She bluntly answered.

Her head shot back up, staring at the blond. "I did. She kept trying to push me away, and I still got her to let me remove her bra and I made her touch me. And then I made her cry." She clumsily summed up the events.

Lily's mouth hung open. "…..Christ, I thought at worst you'd say you two kissed or something."

Miku blinked. "We did that too."

"Well I'd have guessed now!" She exclaimed, incredulous.

Miku bit her lower lip, but her eyes stayed on hers. "…."

Lily ran her hand through her blond hair in disbelief; her mouth still hung open, but now in a half-smile. "Shit… last time we talked about that, you weren't even sure you were attracted to her."

"…I am." She felt the need to state.

"Thanks, I hadn't guessed." She sarcastically retorted.

Miku pouted in silence a moment, the two of them stared at each other wordlessly. She decided she should come clean. "I'm in love with her."

Lily's expression changed yet again, this time into a more serious one. She hadn't been sure Luka even had a chance with Miku, so now she couldn't help but wonder how the events turned out so weirdly. "…She doesn't know, does she?" She quietly asked.

Miku nodded slowly. "I… think she guessed."

"Wait, I don't get it." Lily held one index up as if she wanted to pause her. She frowned and blinked a few times, looking quite confused before staring at her intently. "She guessed, but she said no and-"

"No." Miku cut in. "What happened is that…we… we kissed for the first time about a month ago… and…then six days ago I went to her place. Then we kissed again, and… and I… I…"

"Lots of details please." She requested, her expression a bit too serious.

"….." The younger woman frowned, a cute red slowly coloring her cheeks again.

"Don't spare me." Lily encouraged, edging closer.

Miku was slightly annoyed and shoved her. "Pervert…"

"Go on ahead." Now she grinned, urging her to continue her story.

Miku sighed, gathering her courage. "I… got on top of her and... I... talked her into letting me touch her. So I…removed her blouse."

"You bargained that?" The blond looked surprised.

"…No, I just did it. She didn't say anything." Miku fiddled with her fingers, getting more and more embarrassed. Lily whistled, looking quite impressed with her boldness. "…t-then… I took her bra off… and I…" She paused, staring at her.

"Go on, go on!" She still encouraged, eager to hear the juicy details.

"…" She sighed. "Look, it's irrelevant."

"I still want to know!" The older woman whined.

"Lily!" Miku was now irritated. She would really rather keep the details of what happened to herself. "Point is, I think she guessed afterwards! And then she… she pushed me away. And now she… changed." Miku hadn't seen her ever since, but Luka and her would usually call or text each other more often than not several times a day. It would be, at the very least, once a day. And now, she barely had any contact with her; she got to talk to her only twice in six days, and one of these two times was just to set up a meeting.

"…well it sounds like her alright." Lily sighed and stood back up, now heading to the kitchen to boil some water.

The kitchen was open on the living room and she could easily see the blond from where she was. "…But now I have a huge problem." Miku stated the obvious.

Lily stopped all movement, resting two mugs on the counter to look at her. "What do you want, exactly?" She asked, very ambiguously. She seemed to be aware of the vagueness of her question, because she shook her head and came closer. "I mean, do you understand why she's acting the way she is?"

Miku nodded. "I think I do."

"So what do you want?" Lily repeated.

What did she want? The stakes were pretty high, and being with Luka was taking a huge risk. On the other hand, she was starting to make herself sick, being unable to sleep or eat right, it hurt so much to not be with her. "…I don't know, I guess. I just wish things were different." Miku murmured. What she wanted was a world where love wasn't judged, no matter who it involved. But she knew that was a bit too much to ask for.

Lily sighed again, dejectedly. "You can't change reality. You either don't pick that road, or you live with people pointing fingers at you." She said bitterly.

Miku understood Lily had picked the latter path, which is why she mostly stayed quiet about her relationships. It was why she hadn't talked about them with Miku until recently. The young woman was glad that Lily hadn't lied to her when the time did come to talk about it. Lily opening up and letting her know the truth had eased it quite a lot for herself to come to terms with her feelings. Even if it had simply been to understand that two women in love wasn't only a TV or other media phenomenon. "…It's not fair."

Lily shrugged. "I know, but that's the way it is." She poured the hot water in the teapot and brought everything over in the living room. She sat next to her this time around, looking a bit thoughtful. "It seems Luka chose for you anyways. She pushed you away for a reason." She reflected, pouring tea into one cup.

Miku picked it up. "…But then what about her?" She quietly asked, observing the other woman.

"What do you mean?" The blond frowned, turning to her.

Miku hesitated a short moment. "….She's… like you. She likes women."

Lily mouthed an understanding O, and took a deep breath as she turned back to pour tea into the other cup. She seemed to consider what to say, but sighed after a minute. "Yeah well… she only has two options. Either she'll hide all her life, or she'll eventually have to face the music."

"…You knew, didn't you?" Miku said before sipping at her tea, her eyes still on her.

Lily left her own cup on the small tray; she chose a cookie as she leaned back into the sofa. "Yeah, I think it's obvious. Her eyes are empty when she looks at guys." She commented distractedly, as if she were simply thinking out loud.

"..." Miku made a note to herself to notice this.

They stayed in silence for a few minutes, Lily seemingly thinking about the options, Miku reflecting on their exchange.  
The blond sat back up to pick up her cup. "…I can try talking to her, if you want me to." She offered. "But I don't know, if she made her mind she can be stubborn and obstinate like no one else."

Miku nodded. "Please do." She wanted any help she could get.

"But what do you want me to get out of it? Are you ready for all this?" Lily stared.

She pursed her lips. She wanted to be with Luka, but... the more she thought about it seriously, the more she understood why Luka pushed her away. The more scared she was of all that could go wrong. "…I'll… think about it. I don't know yet." She sighed. The cup in her hands warmed her cold fingers, and she stroked the porcelain softly. "D-do you think she loves me?" Miku asked quietly. She thought she had understood, but there was still doubt looming. It seemed too good to be true.

Lily grimaced. She knew the truth, but once again, it wasn't hers to say. She could neither say yes nor say no. "…That's a trick question, you know?"

"I guess." Miku sighed. "I already think she does though…" She commented to let Lily know, sipping her cup again. She turned to her completely. "…about you and Meiko-san… should I keep it a secret?"

Lily seemed to think it over a second. "You don't have to. I just think I'd rather tell the two brats myself. I think I should come out to them before they hear anything of that sort from anyone else."

Miku nodded. "Does Luka know?"

"She doesn't know it's Meiko." Lily laughed. "If you wanna bring it up with her, go ahead. Maybe it'll open the door to talking about the two of you." She winked at her, managing to make Miku smile.

But it quickly faded away. She knew it wouldn't be fair to bring up the subject, as Luka wished for them to forget it completely. But at the same time, she had millions of questions she wanted to ask Luka. There were so many things she wanted to know about her… in fact, she wanted to know everything there is to know about her. The younger woman suddenly remembered something. "...by the way, do you know if something…bad happened to her?"

Lily raised her eyebrows. "…Bad? Well everyone has bad episodes." She casually answered.

"I meant regarding her being gay." Miku put away her cup.

She looked surprised. "…I don't know."

"Are you sure?" She quietly inquired.

"I don't, really. She never was open about it. I don't think she ever told anyone." Lily looked sincere as she said this.

"She said she told her mother." Miku tried. Maybe this would awaken some memories?

Lily looked even more surprised now; she was left speechless for a second. "Oh wow, she did? Well then you've got your answer." As she could see Miku's questioning gaze, she explained. "The crazy bitch is a religious psycho, she probably freaked out on her."

"She didn't tell you she told her?" The young woman quietly asked.

"Nuh-uh. And it's really weird 'cause no scenario exists in which she could tell her mother and all hell wouldn't have broken loose. But Luka never behaved like something bad had happened either. And even if she had decided not to tell me, I would have known something was wrong." She seemed to think it through really hard, then realization lightened her features. "…I guess… it must have happened during the summer. The summer we were sixteen, just before she told me she would study abroad. She pretty much vanished for over a month. She did make a phone call telling me she was going on vacation, but…" She trailed off and sighed. "It felt rushed and weird. But I never got to ask her about it 'cause then she left."

"…You don't know what happened during that time?" Miku searched her eyes.

She shook her head no.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Luka hadn't touched her. She usually would have taken her hand in hers or hugged her at least once by now, but… nothing. Not a single fleeting touch. Her smile was veiled and pained, her eyes were eluding and sorrowful. Miku knew she looked normal to everyone else, but she had observed Luka enough to see her present weariness. She guessed the pink haired woman didn't sleep much more than Miku did.  
She wished there was something she could do for her to go back to normal… but Miku knew the problem was herself. She noticed how Luka had reached to touch her hand more than once, but decided not to. She noticed Luka's gaze stop on her lips a bit too long. She noticed she couldn't look her straight in the eyes anymore. She looked back at the copy of the partition she was tentatively scribbling on, trying to concentrate. But then she'd raise her eyes to her again, too aware of the distressing atmosphere around the other woman.

"You keep staring at me." Luka commented, her own turquoise orbs not leaving her own music sheets.

"I just…" Miku sighed, her eyes lowering slightly. She decided not to tell her she was thinking she looked exhausted and troubled. "I was reflecting on how…you weren't kidding." Luka raised her questioning gaze to meet hers and Miku pointed at the teal butterfly resting on the other woman's chest. "You said you'd never be seen without it… and I believe I never did see you without it…even in those paparazzi pictures in magazines..."

Luka's fingers went to touch the piece of jewelry; she looked like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Her cheeks reddened slightly and her eyes went to the pink one on Miku's chest. "I never saw you without it either." She countered.

Miku mimicked the other woman's movement subconsciously, touching her pink butterfly. "…It's the only piece of you I have, I cherish it." She simply said in all honesty, without weighing how her words could affect her. Luka's eyes glimmered in a mix of affection and sorrow and she was completely unable to answer Miku. It was heartbreaking, and the young woman couldn't hold her gaze.  
She tried to go back to the work they were doing, but she really could not concentrate. She wondered if Luka had ever loved someone else, and had held back the way she was now with her. She glanced again at the other woman, who seemed to notice right away.

"…what is it, Miku?" Her voice was so quiet; it was obvious she still hadn't recovered from the emotions Miku had just stirred within her.

The young woman waited a short moment, but decided to still go ahead. "…Can I ask you… something personal?" She was very happy there was no one around as she gathered the guts to head into this conversation. Both of them were working in a little café at which Luka was a regular and were sitting away from the shops' windows, in a quiet corner.

Luka delicately rested her pen on the paper. Even such a commonplace motion was graceful with Luka, Miku noticed. "…I guess." The tall woman said, looking a bit apprehensive.

Miku leaned in slightly. "…You had only one boyfriend?"

She raised her eyebrows, but nodded. "For a year, and that's it."

She stared at her another moment, but she was too curious not to ask. She glanced around to make sure no one had walked in and risked hearing their exchange. "…How many girlfriends?"

Luka's expression grew very even, into an unreadable mask. She didn't expect her to ask, but she could understand why she wanted to know. She sighed, looking down at her hands before looking back up at Miku. "…Three. Lily, then two abroad… both after him. The first one for no more than a month, the second one for almost five."

She nodded. After she had learned her preferences, Miku had had her doubts that Luka didn't only have two lovers in her whole life. "…were they all…lesbians?"

That she would ask this made sense to her. Miku wanted to know if she was being fair with her. "…I'm not sure about Lily…anything seems to go in her world, but I'm positive the other two were."

She fiddled with her hands as she weighted whether or not to ask the next question. "Among them, he… he wasn't the only one who… touched you. Was he?" She mumbled, unable to look up at her.

Luka sighed. Miku's audacity and determination were things she had discovered as she got to know her, and she was always surprised with how much nerve she could demonstrate.  
"…He wasn't." She still confirmed.

She really didn't like hearing that, and she knew her expression betrayed her because Luka looked slightly taken aback.  
Miku didn't want to hear that another woman had already touched Luka. She knew it was a selfish thought because Luka had suffered through it, but Miku didn't care as much about the man because she knew Luka had hated it. Miku knew she hadn't let him touch her because she had wanted him to; it had been nothing more than indirect peer pressure. But the women… Luka had succumbed to her desires for them. Luka had felt good in their arms, she let them make her feel something she wouldn't let Miku. She didn't want that. "….Why didn't you tell me, when we talked about it? You only talked about him…" She knew she sounded a bit resentful, but she couldn't help it.

Luka looked at her in disbelief. "Because… … Because, Miku, I just couldn't."

"…" The young woman stared back at her with a sour face.

"I had no idea what you'd think I… I couldn't!" She tried to defend herself, explain why she hid the truth.

Miku knew she was being unfair, she completely understood why Luka hadn't told her at that point. Her features softened and she looked down. "…I'm sorry. I just…" She was jealous, but she was ashamed to tell her. She was pretty sure Luka understood she was anyways. But the thought of Luka with someone else, enjoying them… letting them enjoy her, it made her heart burn in an ugly way, like some poisonous acid was slowly eating away at her insides. As much as it hurt her, and as much as she knew it was unhealthy to continue down that path, she couldn't help inquiring further. "…With all three of them?" She hoped not.

She tried to hold her gaze, but looked down. "No, I… no." She whispered.

"…Who was it?" Miku pressed.

"What?" Luka frowned slightly, thinking the younger woman's questioning was getting a bit odd.

"….I want to know who else had you." Her voice was very bitter, shaking slightly.

"Does it matter?" Luka was dismayed; she didn't know why Miku kept pushing for more when it was obvious she was only hurting herself.

"Did Lily?" Her voice was getting harsh and desperate, and tears were welling up in her eyes. Miku didn't understand why she was so much more jealous of her than the others. Maybe it was because she had been Luka's first. Maybe it was because she was in her direct environment. Maybe it was simply because Lily was the only face she knew among the four Luka had been with.

"What does it matter…?" Luka was starting to see what was going on, and thought it would be unhealthy to continue.

"Tell me! Please…!" She leaned closer, supporting some of her weight with her arms on the small coffee table.

"….It doesn't matter, Miku. I loved none of them." She quietly answered, knowing that hearing this truth would calm her.

Indeed, she backed down slightly, sitting normally again on the stool. Miku could understand Luka wasn't in love with that man. She could also guess that maybe since Lily was her first… it was much more about discovery than love. But then, there still were two other women. "…None of them?" She felt the need to confirm.

"…when I was with her, I did think I was in love with the last one." Luka admitted.

"What does that mean..?" The idea was slightly confusing, and Miku wasn't sure she understood what Luka meant.

"What I mean is… I recently realized I didn't know what love was, back then." She hoped it was enough for Miku to get her point. She knew if she had to say anymore, she might slip.

Miku blinked. "…You didn't know? …back then?" Her heart beat faster; she didn't dare believe what she thought she was hearing.

"…" Luka searched her eyes, disconcerted.

Miku waited, both hopeful and fearful. "…"

Her eyes dropped down, and she was met with the first notes written on the music sheet lying in front of her. She took a deep breath.  
"I thought I was in love, but now I understand I wasn't. _That _wasn't love." Her gaze met Miku's again, and the younger woman could read a mix of tenderness and ardor in them. "It doesn't even compare…" Luka whispered as she reached to cup her cheek. She stopped before she touched her and seemed to be fighting with herself for a short second before taking back her hand. "...Let's move on." She shakily started gathering her papers, looking to continue her work.

Miku was now absolutely certain she had understood correctly what Luka had said, or rather, what she didn't say. She was indeed in love with her. And at this moment there was nothing she wanted to do more than take her in her arms, kiss her and say to hell with everything else. But she couldn't. She knew she'd hurt Luka by trying to be with her again, because the other woman would only push her away once again despite her feelings. Luka was already fighting so hard with herself; Miku knew it wouldn't be fair to pressure her on top of it. Moreover, it would be too excruciating for Miku to be turned down again. It had been a week, but the wound was still wide open, it still ached, and she would still cry herself to sleep.  
So…the short distance between them, Miku knew she wasn't allowed to close. Luka was so near, yet felt so far… it made these few inches separating them feel so incredibly cold. "It's not fair." She murmured, watching the other woman's movements.

"I know." Luka answered as quietly, reaching for her now cold mocha coffee. "But it's for the best in the long run."  
**  
- to be continued in ch.8  
**  
**Annnnd, that's… I still don't know. I have listed all I need to make happen in chapter 8… and I have no idea how I'll assemble all of it yet. I'll try my best to keep up the same pace :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**I try to keep a good pace! **  
**I already have some layout for the next two chapters; everything's falling into place. muwahahaha. (One of them is gonna break, can you guess which one? 8D)**  
**-**

Loud banging disturbed the beautiful notes she was playing. Luka's hands now lay immobile on the keyboard, and she waited with her eyes closed. The same trashing again, and this time, she identified the source of the noise was coming from her door. She frowned, considering the option to ignore it, but sighed instead and succumbed to the insistent pounding. She slowly stood and opened the door to see who was so outrageously requiring her attention; she was met with a pair of icy blue eyes glaring at her.

"What's wrong with you?" The woman didn't greet her.

"I could ask you the same question." Luka's frown deepened, unsure. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your… surprise visit?"

Lily let herself in. "Why did you push Miku away?" She kicked off her shoes and was in her improvised host's living room in a second.

Well, Lily always had been straightforward. Luka closed the door and turned to the other woman. "Because I love her." She simply stated. Her voice was softer than she would have wished it to be.

The blond crossed her arms and stared at her in silence for a moment. Luka found it very uncomfortable. "…Let me rephrase my question." The blond's eyebrow twitched. "What the _fuck _is wrong with you?"

Luka found swearing to be excessively rude, and even knowing Lily so well, she couldn't help but feel slightly offended. The tone of her voice grew in strength. "….I can't be selfish!"

"But she wants to be with you, isn't that what you wanted?" The blond uncrossed her arms to gesticulate.

"It's what I wished for, but I never suspected it might happen!" Luka knew what she said was incongruous, but it did make sense to her. The human mind is a paradox.

Lily gave her a very unbelieving look. "Well even better! You got lucky!"

Luka groaned and took a deep breath to calm down. She didn't want this to escalate into a yelling contest. She hated to scream, she hated noise and above all, it would get them nowhere. She thought through her answer before approaching closer. "Lily, have you ever heard the old saying _be careful what you wish for_…?"

Lily's scowl still hadn't softened, but the volume of her voice had. "Yeah but…"

"No buts." Luka cut in. "Her whole life's at stake, Lily and as much as I wish I could have her… I can't 'follow my heart'." She quoted the last words with a movement of her fingers. "I cannot destroy her dreams, I cannot take her future."

"Why're you talking like you'd doom her?" She crossed her arms again.

Luka leaned her hip against the back of the couch, feeling a need for some sort of support. It took a second for her to gather what she'd say. "…She's a normal girl, she probably pictured her future with a nice husband, a lot of kids, and I don't know, a big house and a dog. Being able to visit her parents on the weekends." She waited for what she said to sink in. She knew Lily still wasn't out to her family. Luka knew the blonde woman was scared to lose them, and had hid this aspect of her life. So Luka knew Lily understood what she meant. "That's not the kind of life you and I can offer another woman." She added. "We need to choose someone who expects the same things as us out of life… someone who doesn't have _these _dreams." Luka's voice was soft again, but this time she didn't mind it.

Lily understood how right the other woman was, it was something that did weight the back of her mind every time she was with Meiko. But Lily was much too impulsive of a person to let it stop her. She had learned to deal with remorse afterwards. "Ugh. Now you're making me feel bad. I hate you." Lily grumbled as she let herself fall heavily on the couch, making herself at home.

"…" Luka couldn't help a nostalgic smile. She had reasoned Lily quite a few times about a number of different subjects in the past. "…Do you want something to drink?" She decided to make the best of her visit, since she was already there.

She glanced at her. "Beer."

"I don't have beer." She casually answered.

"Tequila." The blond pouted.

Luka rolled her eyes. "Lily…"

She smiled slightly. "I get it, I get it. Wine."

Luka sighed, wondering why she was asking for alcohol. Couldn't she settle with tea like everyone else? Luka still headed for the kitchen.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

She and Luka were waiting to meet the composer their manager and Luka had agreed on. This was another step towards the completion of their project. There had been a stack of old magazines in the room and Miku had picked the first one on top to leaf through. She now regretted it, as she stared bitterly at the promotional pictures featuring pink and purple. The announced date on the advertisement was long passed. It had been a huge hit; that specific project had been the start of Luka and Gakupo's game. She closed the old magazine and tossed it on the small table, crossing her arms as she leaned back into her chair. She caught the quizzical look on Luka's features and sighed. "I wish I had been born a man." She mumbled.

"It would have been a waste; you're such a gorgeous young woman." The pink haired woman casually answered, picking up what Miku had just so disgustingly thrown.

She glared at the gossip magazine Luka was now curiously leafing through. "But if I was, then… it wouldn't be a big deal." She stubbornly grumbled.

Luka quickly found what had sparked such a reaction from the younger woman and looked at her from the corner of her eye. "You know things wouldn't have worked out anyways if you were a man." She nonchalantly countered, her voice very low. "I don't enjoy his company remotely as much as I do yours. And I unquestionably don't enjoy his touch as much as…" She trailed off, knowing she was pushing their limits.

"…" Miku pouted, staying silent. She knew the other woman found her very desirable just the way she was, and refusing her had nothing to do with gender or her own feelings. But it was driving her mad and making her sick. "Luka, I don't care if-"

"You will." She cut in as she met her gaze, her eyes stern. They shouldn't even be talking about it. How will it ever disappear if Miku kept bringing it up? How will it ever disappear if Luka kept confirming it was there? She really wished Miku would accept the very sad reality of things and move on. She slowly closed the magazine and rested it carefully on the table.

But the young woman just scooted closer, getting angry herself. "You don't think I'm strong enough, do you?" She reached for her cheek and Luka avoided her hand.

"That's not…" The taller woman started, but the purely heartbroken look on Miku's features as she escaped her touch silenced her. How she hated herself. She took a deep breath, trying to gain back some control. She stared deep into her eyes. "…Do you want children, Miku?"

The young woman frowned. She didn't get what her question had to do with this. "Of course, I've always wanted some. When I'm old enough I pl-" And then she understood. Luka wouldn't be able to give her children…at least not of their flesh and blood. Moreover, in Japan gays had little rights, so even adoption would prove very difficult. "…" She didn't know what to say.

Luka knew it might look like she was seeing too far into the future, but she knew her feelings were much more real when it came to Miku than they had been with anyone else. She did not want to commit to a relationship with someone who wasn't aware of their situation, of the repercussions of a same-gender relationship. She didn't want to commit to someone who'd end up leaving her to start a family, or because she would end up finding the social repercussions too hard. It would destroy her. Moreover, Luka knew so well that even in the possibility their relationship didn't last…that she ever had a relationship with a woman would follow Miku all her life.  
She didn't want to have to shake these realities into Miku, but it seemed that was what it took to make her think thoroughly about chasing her.  
"Do you want to get married?" Luka continued, the tone of her voice was bitter.

"… …" This too, Miku knew they wouldn't be allowed to do. They wouldn't be able to simply have a nice and trouble-free ceremony with their friends. If they really wanted to marry, then they'd have to exile themselves and do so alone in another country. She cast her eyes down, awareness slowly chilling her.

It hurt her to see Miku so quiet and at a loss. But Luka wasn't done. "…And even if these end up achievable… Do you want to be able to tell people who you're with without being scared of their reaction? Do you want to be able to answer, without even considering if you should, or shouldn't tell?" She pressed a little further, thinking she made sure the young woman wouldn't rush to her anymore.

"… … …" She understood how right Luka was and that's what was most painful.

Luka carefully placed the magazine back on the table, her voice now very quiet. "…..Stop thinking of…what could be. Please."

Miku kept to herself a moment, trying to swallow the figurative pill. She gathered herself enough to look at her. "But what about you, then?"

The older woman sighed. "I…have no choice, it's my nature." She said warily before she met Miku's gaze again. "…Don't put yourself through this when you don't have to."

Miku looked away.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Once the session was done, the composer left in what looked like an ecstatic state. The two women gathered their things in silence, and exited the meeting room. They exchanged a few quiet words before parting, the conversation they had preceding the meeting was still weighing heavily on both of their minds. Luka watched her back as the younger woman made her way down the corridor to the elevator. She leaned on the wall and wordlessly watched her silhouette. Miku's beautiful hair flowed behind her and her hips swayed with every step she took. She really did have a perfect ass. And as much as Miku seemed to envy her own legs, Luka thought Miku's were wonderful, and her tight jeans let the world see their incredible shape. She closed her eyes, feeling the need to gain back some control.

"I saw that."

The male voice coming from behind her made her jump out of her skin and she turned quickly towards him. His purple eyes stared hardy at her as he towered too close to her.  
"…What?" She tried to look innocent, but she knew it was useless. She was mortified. She didn't want her secret to be found out.

"The way you devoured her with your eyes." His words dripped with disgust.

She expected such an answer, but not in such a blunt manner. Luka knew she had paled, and therefore looked guilty. Her fingers were icy cold. She knew what she had looked like as she watched Miku leave. She knew if anyone watched her whenever she allowed herself to look at Miku, they'd without a doubt perceive unmistakable lust. She couldn't deny what he'd seen, so she simply looked away from him.  
"We've soaked into this for two months now…I got curious, that's all." She lied, hoping he would swallow it. In his place she wouldn't have bought it, she knew her features betrayed too much yearning for it to be simple curiosity.

But he did seem to accept her excuse. "Tch. Something's wrong with your head, you're not supposed to want her for real." He grumbled.

Luka crossed her arms, still unable to meet his eyes. "Because it's supposed to be a game…?" She wanted to pull away from her deviance as much as she could. "Gakupo, you're in no position to tell me that. You've wanted me for real." She had no strength to try dealing with him neither had she strength to try and fight for herself. She hadn't slept enough in the last two weeks and had lost a few pounds over fatigue and not eating right. She could feel a headache developing already.

"It's not the same." His retort was immediate, and the edge in his voice made it very clear he was displeased.

Luka knew very well it wasn't the same, but she decided to make him believe she saw no difference. "…yes it is." She knew her voice by now sounded very condescending, but she didn't care. She wanted him to believe she saw nothing wrong with her feelings; it would make him believe she wasn't serious about Miku. "We've been asked to play this game, it's typical to end up...superficially attracted."

Gakupo seemed ticked off. "Two women! It's unnatural!"

"You seemed to like the idea two weeks ago." She pointed out, her expression as apathetic as the tone of her voice.

His perfect womanizer features contorted into a mix of repugnance and frustration. "It's only supposed to be eye candy. What you're supposed to do is excite your rabid fanboys. Women do that to turn men on. If it's for real, it's sick."He took a deep breath and put one hand on his hip. "If two women were meant to be together, they'd be able to have kids. But they can't, so it's not supposed to be." He said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

It took everything in her to hold her indifferent mask. "…two people of the same gender can work out as a couple. Reproduction isn't our sole purpose on this earth." She managed to make herself sound unconcerned, but her teeth were clenched.

He rolled his eyes, oblivious to the storm raging inside the pink haired woman. "Please, Luka, you know very well what I mean." Gakupo huffed. "You're just getting carried away with your project. Okay sure, she has a cute ass, I'd probably be curious too if I were you. But do you really think she'd ever want something like that? It's disturbing."

Luka knew Miku in fact _did_ want 'something like that'. But she wouldn't tell the tall man standing in front of her, not even to wipe that aggravating air of superiority off his face. "…Whether she did or did not…it would be the same, Gakupo. Nothing will happen, I just… I can't help my…my…_curiosity_." She muttered. She couldn't take anymore; she was too tired for this. Her head was spinning.

"Still, it's not healthy. Get her out of your head." He pressed, taking a step closer.

"I'm trying." She closed her eyes, frowning, and leaned on the wall for support.

"Good." He said, and Luka could hear his smile in the tone of his voice.

She felt his arms around her waist and her eyes snapped open. His rough lips were on her neck before she knew it and she felt one of his hands feel her through her skirt. "What don't you understand? I told you never to do this again!" She snarled, weakly pushing him. She already wasn't feeling well because of the lack of sleep and deficient nutrition; this was the last thing she needed.

He chuckled, thinking her lack of strength was simply a lack of heart to truly fight him off. "I'll help you clear your head. I'll make you feel like a woman." He pushed her against the wall, his hand going to her jaw to hold her head in place.

"I already do feel like a woman, thank you very much." She hissed, digging her nails in his shoulders, still resisting.

He winced in pain. "Come on! What's the problem?"

"Hey! What are you doing?" Another male voice called, and Gakupo released her, backing away, but only about a step. Luka still found him to be too close for comfort. Kaito glared at him, but his boyish face wasn't very intimidating.

The taller man still decided it was best if he wasn't seen forcing her into anything and shrugged, backing off a bit more. "Luka likes to play hard to get." He threw her a haughty look.

She scowled back. "I didn't want to." Her voice dripped with disgust in the same fashion Gakupo's had earlier.

"…You'll excuse us then." Kaito simply said. His voice was soft but remarkably firm, his tone very final. He took Luka's arm especially carefully, as if he had been afraid to hurt her, and escorted her down the hall. He didn't release her as they stepped in the elevator, as if he could feel she needed the support, but he stayed mute. As quickly as she had decided she liked Meiko, Luka decided she also liked Kaito.

With her heels, Luka was slightly taller than he was. She found it odd, as she was used to Gakupo's height. She also found his gentle hold on her arm very peculiar, his presence was nothing like what she had gotten used to with the other man. She had never really had any sort of close contact with Kaito, and had expected more of an airhead than this quiet strength. Luka now understood very well why this one had landed the prince charming role, and Gakupo the sinister vampire one. She found herself very glad that Miku had had to work with Kaito and not Gakupo.  
They walked in silence through the underground parking of the building until they reached Luka's car.  
"…Thank you. I really didn't have the energy to deal with him." She couldn't meet his eyes, but she bowed her head in gratitude.

"…I noticed. I think everyone noticed. Miku-chan and you both look exhausted." Kaito released her, still cautious with every movement he made.  
Luka wordlessly fished for her keys in her purse, wanting nothing more than to be home so she could lie down.  
"Are you sure you can drive? You don't look well." He added.

Luka glanced at him and could see sincere worry. "..You're a really nice guy, thank you." She smiled for the first time that day. "But don't worry, I'm still at least this apt."

He seemed very unsure, but reluctantly accepted, nodding.  
She felt his hand on her shoulder and tensed as a reflex, but he only squeezed very gently to show his support.  
"…take care of yourself." He said very quietly.

Luka nodded, promising she would try her best and thanked him again before she left.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Meiko's voice blared with the song _Kowase Kowase _and Miku closed her eyes. "I love listening to Meiko-san. I always feel stronger when I do." She raised the volume on their small TV.

"Well you got stronger ever since you worked with her." Miki commented.

"I did?" Miku raised her eyebrows, quite pleased to hear it.

"When you really want something you actually go for it. You just... You're more daring." Miki smiled, popping another cherry in her mouth. "Not so long ago you let fear stop you easily, but now when you want something you take it. You do it." She nodded to herself, turning back to the screen

Miku couldn't help but be reminded of her forceful behavior towards Luka. Miki was probably right. Just last year, she wouldn't have had the guts to pursue her the way she knew she had, and she wouldn't have had the nerve to talk with her about all the subjects she had brought up. Back then, she would have backed down the first time Luka turned her down, after their first kiss. She didn't even know if she would have been daring enough to ask for…anything. She would have been too cowardly to try. She would have let the fact that Luka was a woman stop her from trying, even if curiosity and need had eaten away at her, maybe for the rest of her life.  
"I'll have to thank Meiko-san, I guess." Miku smiled. She decided to try calling her to set something up and moving into the kitchen so as not to disturb Miki's TV watching. In a second, she was back in the living room, quite satisfied.  
"She said we could go for breakfast tomorrow morning, since she'll already be Lily's place. She's on her way right now." She gathered the used crockery, it was late and they would be going to bed soon.

"They're going out to drink?" Miki wondered absentmindedly. "She'll be able to be up for breakfast?"

"I think it'll be fine, it didn't look like they would be going out. They're… dating, somewhat. Meiko-san's probably just planning to… er… spend the night." Miku simply explained.

"…They're dating? really?"

"Yeah. It makes sense… to some extent." Miku turned to her roommate and dropped the cups she had gathered. The big tears rolling down Miki's cheeks shocked her. "Miki? What's wrong?" She rushed to her, giving no care about the dishes shattered on the kitchen floor.

Miki brought both of her hands to her face, stunned, and touched her wet cheeks. "..I don't know..! I.. wh-what?" She sobbed, her body shook.

Miku hugged her tightly. "…" It wasn't hard to figure it out. "You don't like that Lily is seeing Meiko-san?"

She shook her head no, breaking into full tears. "I d-don't want Lily t-to have a girlfriend!" She bawled.

Miku always noticed her roommate was being particularly affectionate with the blond woman, but she hadn't thought there were any real feelings. The redhead was such a child at times, Miku forgot that she was a sixteen-year-old girl. "You don't want Lily to be seeing someone at all, is that it?" Miki only cried harder, hanging on to her friend as she nodded. "…I understand…" Miku sighed. "…you've liked her all that time?"

"…Of course, she was always really nice." Miki sniffed.

Miku blinked and pulled back to look at her. Her roommate's big teary eyes were full of question marks. "…" Miku realized that despite what had just transpired, Miki wasn't aware of her own feelings. "…Miki, do you remember when I… had that dream about Luka?"

Miki nodded.

"…You said you had those dreams too…but they didn't mean anything…you meant you dreamt about Lily, is that it?" Miku questioned.

She nodded once again, her eyes still not understanding.

"…Miki, you know, these dreams _did_ mean something about my feelings for Luka." She tried to make her understand.

The redhead blinked, still no reaction.

Miku sighed. "That's why you never called her nee-san. You like her the way I've liked Luka." She ended up explaining.

"But you're in love with Luka-nee-san." Miki pointed out.

She was amazed at how thick her friend could be. "…I am." Miku simply answered.

Miki stared at her blankly, without even blinking, for at least fifteen seconds.

Miku waited for the information to sink in.

"…Oh." Miki finally said, her expression crumbling into a distressed one. "What can I do?"

"…I… I don't know." Miku hugged her again. "I'm sorry, Miki…"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

With the tip of her finger, Luka poked the whipped cream on her mocha. She brought her finger closer to her face and distractedly observed it before licking the whipped cream off. She could feel the younger woman's eyes on her, and suddenly judged what she had just done to not be a very smart move. She sighed and stared at her cup. She didn't want to drink it, she had no appetite. She had only gotten her usual out of habit as she passed by her favorite café. She had been on her way to Miku's place and had gotten the younger woman a hot chocolate, which she didn't seem very keen on drinking either. They were sitting in Miku's room, in the exact same fashion they had been when they first kissed. Luka absolutely could not concentrate, and it seemed the younger woman couldn't either.

Miku put away what she'd been working on and stared at her. "Luka…?...Do you mind if I.. have a few questions?"

"What about?" She didn't know why she asked. When Miku asked if she could question her instead of simply questioning, it was always about one particular subject.

"About your... you…being that way." Miku still answered her.

Luka sighed. "…Miku... we need to stop having these discussions."

"But there's only one thing...!" Miku tried, looking hopeful.

Luka stared at her a short moment, her lips pursed, before sighing again. "…What do you want to know?"

The young woman leaned towards her. "… you don't like being gay?"

She crossed her arms, feeling self-conscious and somewhat distressed, and looked away. "Who would?"

Miku watched her reaction, and it reinforced her bad feeling that the older woman was hiding a horrible experience. She abruptly felt so terribly sad. "…What happened to you?" She quietly murmured.

Luka raised her eyes to meet hers again in a very slow movement. "…What?" She smiled an uneasy, forced smile. "Why do you think something happened?" Her voice also betrayed some discomfort.

Miku let the obvious lie slide, but decided not to back down. "Why do you feel it's so wrong then?"

"Besides homophobic reactions I see every day?" She retorted, her tone uncharacteristically cynical.

"… …" It was very unlike Luka to use such a tone with her; in fact, Miku had never heard anything like it. Paired up with how she had just lied, Miku understood Luka was being defensive. "You're stronger than that." She answered, searching Luka's eyes. "I think… even if it does hurt and it really is… intimidating… I think it just piles up on top of something else." Miku gulped inaudibly, she could see the older woman's expression change slowly. "Something really bad."

Luka hadn't fought much to hide, but she already felt she couldn't keep up the façade. She was too tired for the effort…and Miku was seeing through her anyways. "…I…Miku, I really don't like talking about it, it's…humiliating." She explained, the chilly sarcasm completely purged from her voice.

Miku tried to smile through her worry, wanting to soothe her enough to open up. "…I won't judge you. I know whatever happened isn't your fault, you don't have to be ashamed." She reasoned, her eyes not leaving Luka's features.

She took a deep breath and suddenly felt unable to hold her gaze. Luka was silent another moment, staring emptily at her untouched hot drink. "…When I was sixteen, I came out to my mother. She was the first I came out to." She started quietly.  
Miku nodded, waiting for her to continue. She had expected the story to start right about there. Luka had seemed pained when she said she had only told her mother, and Lily had confirmed it couldn't have been a good experience.  
Luka joined her hands, entwining her fingers together. "She did not take it well. She…" She stopped and shook her head. "There's no use talking about it, it won't change what happened." She unclasped her hands and started to stand up.

"Luka!" The younger woman caught her arm, stopping her. "It won't change what happened…but I think… talking about it will take a burden off your shoulders. Don't run from it… I'm concerned. I'll help you." Miku pleaded, trying to meet her eyes.

Luka stayed still, and then turned her head away from her. "I don't want you to pity me." She admitted. "I don't like passing for a victim."

"You can't keep everything bottled up…" Miku countered. She bit her lip, afraid she'd lose her and Luka would retreat in a shell. Seeing the older woman was in fact hesitating, considering the option of telling her what happened, Miku tried again, imploring her to open herself. "…I care about you, I'm worried."

Silently, Luka sat back down, and Miku released her arm. She took her time to place her words and her eyes stayed very still, staring out into space.  
"…she said God wouldn't forgive such sin, and I was a filthy whore." The tone of her voice was expressionless, and Miku listened intently as she picked up the story. Luka opened her mouth and closed it again, unsure if she indeed should go ahead with it, but she continued. "Then she dragged me to the bathroom. She held my head down the toilet, screaming that's where I belonged. I passed out and I… she must have assumed she had drowned me…because I woke in a dumpster, somewhere in a back alley." She summed up, her whole being so dissonantly impassive and unemotional. "I didn't know where I was."

Miku's blood had drained from her face, paling her, whitening even her lips. "… …" She didn't know what to say, she couldn't believe such horror. It was worse than all the scenarios she had tried to imagine. Moreover, Luka looked completely lifeless as she talked. It scared Miku to the point where she couldn't even move. She stayed silent and terrified as the other woman opened her mouth to continue.

"I was too scared to seek help, and I knew I couldn't go back there. I hid in the streets for… five days before I collapsed." Luka finally seemed to come back to reality. Her eyes no longer dead set on a spot in space, she turned them to Miku. Luka knew she must have sounded robotic as she finally opened up to tell someone her story…but she had cried all she had to cry years ago. This pain, this story… it now felt numb to her.  
"The next thing I knew, I was in a hospital room. They tried to contact my mother, but she kept denying she ever had a daughter. So the staff managed to contact my father in England. He arranged that I go live with him. I never told him what happened, and I don't think he suspects how bad it really was. I don't think he suspects I like women either." She finished. Her voice was devoid of anger, devoid of pain, devoid even of bitterness. Even if the horrible story she had just related was hers, she couldn't feel it anymore. It sounded so foreign, so alien, as she recounted it.

Miku couldn't talk or move for what felt like an eternity. She had a lot of difficulty accepting something so horrific had happened to someone she knew, even worse, to the one she loved.  
"..t-that's when… t-that's the r-real story…? Of why… you…studied abroad...?" She stuttered when she finally found it in her to articulate something.

Luka nodded, still looking eerily unconcerned. "..Not so pretty, is it?"

"…oh my god." She didn't know how to answer her or how to react.

Her eyes detached themselves from Miku's and she sighed. "If family can do that to you, imagine strangers." Luka murmured.

"…" Miku immediately understood Luka's comment. She didn't want her having to face anything of that sort. She slowly shook her head and unsteadily started standing up.  
"…Can I… Luka, would you allow me to hold you..?" She pleaded, even knowing the other woman wanted to avoid any physical contact."Just this once..." Miku knew she'd understand this time would be very different.  
As expected, Luka nodded slowly and Miku got up fully, walked around the table, and knelt in front of her. She did hesitate a short second, afraid Luka would change her mind and back away. Luka escaping her touch had hurt her so much the one time it happened, she didn't want a repeat of it. But the older woman sat still, looking up at her as Miku seemed to tower over her up on her knees. She wrapped her arms around her neck and pulled Luka to her body in a swift movement, hugging her very tightly.

It was only a little over two weeks since she last had any kind of physical contact, but it had felt like an entire lifetime. Luka knew she was the only one responsible for this emptiness, refusing for Miku to even touch her hand… but it felt so good to melt into her again. She was enveloped in her scent, Miku's very long and silky teal hair falling all around her. Moreover, Miku held her as though this was their last chance to do so, as if when she let her go she would never see her again. It eased her so, being embraced the way only Miku could, with such need… such love. It made her feel…good enough.  
Luka understood herself enough to know that she had pursued perfection to such an excessive point because she had always felt abnormal; yearning to touch other women the way only men are supposed. That's why she had never found it easy to speak her mind, that's why she had always been reserved and solitary. Her mother, the one who was supposed to love her unconditionally, had confirmed how deviant she was. As a result… she had perfected her manners, she made her appearance impeccable, she had excelled everywhere in school, she excelled in her work; she made herself easy to be loved. Everything she did was to compensate with how flawed she really felt. It didn't matter if the reasons others loved her were superficial, she needed acceptance.  
But as the young woman tightened her embrace, Luka closed her eyes. When she was with Miku, it was different. She didn't feel like she needed to polish every superficial aspect of herself. Being with Miku, she had always felt playful and relaxed, she never worried. When they started being closer, when she felt the attraction grow, it had felt so natural. She didn't feel it was an aberration, even if they were two women. It was right.  
Every time Miku held her, it made her feel so precious and cherished. Miku accepted her as a whole, loved her for everything she was and treasured her in a way she never dreamed anyone would. Luka knew too well she'd never be loved this deeply again, and would never love anyone else this deeply again either. How stupid she was to push her away. Luka knew the young woman holding her was the one she needed.

Miku could feel Luka loosen up in her arms, all the tension left her shoulders and back, her head laid on her chest comfortably. She thought to herself that if this was the only occasion she ever had again to hold this woman, then she would never let go. Ever. Miku rested her cheek on top on her head. Luka seemed to be a flawless being in everyone's eyes, a sex object for men and role model for young women. But she was just another human being. She needed comfort like anyone else… probably even more than most people. Most people hadn't had to hide all their lives, and surely hadn't lived through something as horrifying as the story she had just heard. Miku wanted to take on her pain, she wanted to protect her the best her small body could. She ran her fingers in the silky pink hair, kissing the top of her head. "I'm so sorry.." She whispered, her voice cracking up.

"…it's alright…" She mechanically whispered the empty words she had repeated to herself over and over. Luka's hand resting on the younger woman's lower back clutched at the fabric of her shirt.

"No. It's not." Miku hoarsely answered as if she was scolding her. "You didn't deserve it… no one deserves it." Her voice was so firm, she surprised even herself.

Luka could only stay silent. Miku was right. What had happened to her wasn't alright. It shouldn't have happened.  
"I'm fine now…" She whispered again, this time truthfully. Wanting to ease the younger woman, her hands slowly caressed her back. Luka listened to her heartbeat for a moment, and she felt her torso start to shake slightly. She didn't hear a single sound escape from her, but Miku's quivering body and her irregular breathing betrayed her. Luka tightened her embrace. Miku was crying… very silently, but Luka could tell she was. Whether Miku was crying for her or because she missed the closeness, Luka wasn't sure… It was probably some of both. Either way, she held her quietly until Miku had no more tears to shed. She knew the younger woman wanted to be strong for her, and that if she tried to comfort her, it would defeat the purpose of Miku trying to hide her tears.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Miku! Miku, wake up!"

The young woman found herself literally shaken back to consciousness and cracked her eyes open. "Miki…?" She mumbled, slowly trying to sit up. She guessed her roommate had a nightmare again.

"Thank god!" The redhead threw herself at her and hugged her tightly.

It puzzled Miku and she would have tried to hug her back, but she didn't find the strength within her. It slowly dawned on her they were on their kitchen floor, not in Miku's room. The groceries were spread out on the floor around her, and Miki was crying now. It slowly came back to Miku. They had been out getting food, it was late afternoon… and neither morning or night, Miki wasn't trying to wake her because she had had a nightmare. Miku hadn't been asleep, she had blacked out.  
She managed to bring her arms around her friend, trying to console her. "…I'm fine, Miki…" She whispered, feeling so incredibly drained. Miku was disconcerted by her health getting this poor, but she knew she should have expected it with the way she was failing to take care of herself.

"I was so scared!" The redhead hiccupped, still clutching her tightly.

Miku gradually regained some strength and was able to stroke her friend's hair. "I'm fine… really…" She tried to soothe her. "How long was I out…?"

Miki sniffed. "…j-just a minute or so… I think…"

She nodded. It explained her roommate not having called for help yet. Miku was glad it had been so short, she absolutely did not want her health problems known. She didn't want to feed gossips, she didn't want to worry her friends, and especially, she didn't want to make Luka feel at fault. "Help me to my bed, would you…? I just need to rest." She quietly requested. Miki immediately helped her up and to her room. She slowly lay in bed, still fully dressed.  
Miki decided to remove her friend's socks, and jewelry. Miku lazily let her, but stopped her before she could take off the butterfly necklace.

The redhead pulled the covers over Miku. "D-do you need anything…?" She sat on her friend's bed, staring closely at her.

"Really, I just need to rest, I'll be fine…" Miku shook her head.

"…Are you sick, Miku? Do you need some chicken noodle soup?" Miki was still drying her tears.

"Can you cook?" She yawned, knowing full well the answer.

Miki pouted and went to grab her cell phone. "I'll just get someone else to..."

**- to be continued in ch.9**

See ya next week x_X  



	9. Chapter 9

**Here it is! I'm sorry it took so much longer than what it usually does take! OTL**

**I actually had an unexpected 5 days' vacation to a chalet offered to me, so I...went. It was fun. I also have this chapter slightly longer than what I usually do write (though they always seem to get longer and longer?)…but I'll stop it with my lame excuses ;_;**

Hope you enjoy, and I swear then next one will be up in a few days :)  
(and I swear things will be looking up for our two love birds :3)

**-  
**

Miku opened her eyes painfully and recognized her room. She scrunched her nose, having no idea how she got there. Last thing she could recall she was…now she remembered. Miki had helped her to bed after she had blacked out. As she sat up, she heard noise coming from the kitchen. It compelled her to get up; she knew Miki wouldn't be one to fiddle with pots. Making her way there, she stopped, meeting Gumi's vibrant green eyes. Miku was startled…Gumi hadn't really talked to her ever since Miku admitted she might be attracted to another woman. At least she was enough of a good friend to give a helping hand in time of need.

The short haired girl gave her a once-over, looking somewhat unfazed. There was so much cutlery laid out, it seemed she was cooking much more than chicken noodle soup. "You should rest, go back to bed." She quietly said, turning back to the stove.

"Why are you here?" Miku bluntly questioned, frozen in place. "I thought you were angry with me."

Gumi sighed, continuing her work. "I'm not angry, Miku." She didn't turn to her this time around.

She watched her in silence for another minute. Gumi still felt distant and reticent, and Miku already had it over her head with everything else that was going on. She didn't want to play metaphorical hide and seek with her friends, it was already hard enough dealing with her feelings towards Luka. Miku tried again, her voice a little louder this time around. "…I thought you were disgusted with me."

Gumi's movement slowed, but she still didn't look at her. "…Miku, you need rest."

This deflective answer angered her, and Miku took a small step towards her. "You are, aren't you?"

She shook her head slowly, holding her breath but still not turning to her. "Miku…"

Miku quickly approached, stopping only two feet away from her. "You are! Aren't you?" She vehemently demanded an answer.

Gumi backed instinctively. "…" She was unable to lie to Miku, but she also couldn't just tell her she was.

Miku's eyes watered, understanding her friend's silence. She felt distressed, cold and abandoned. "Why?" She whispered. "I'm still the same person…"

She flinched, looking away. "…no, it's different…"

Miku shook her head, unbelieving "…But, but I…Gumi, I won't look at you that way… It's just Luka I… …just her, no other woman."

"…For now it is, but how do you know it won't change in the future?" The short haired girl countered.

"Because! I'm not gay, Gumi! It's all about her and only _her_! Thinking of anyone else doesn't do it for me anymore! Men and women, models, idols, actors… no one attracts me like she does. I'm in love with her!" Miku knew she shouldn't be telling too many people her feelings, especially since she was supposed to be forgetting them, but she couldn't help herself. Above all that, right now, she really needed Gumi to understand what was going on. "…love is so much stronger than…everything. Somewhere deep down, I think I… have always been waiting for her." She explained, quite ambiguously.

Gumi didn't look surprised when she heard her friend's confession. She sighed quietly, searching Miku's eyes. "That's how it's supposed to be when we're in love… but people fall in and out of love all the time, you know?"

Miku shook her head 'no' immediately. "You don't get it." She started, running a hand in her messy teal bangs, trying to make sense of what her heart tried to tell her head. "It'll sound so stupid and so cliché, but I…I think I'm _meant_ to be with her. I mean, I could tell you how wonderful, how beautiful, or how talented she is to explain my feelings but... I know I wouldn't have fallen in love with a woman. No matter how charming or gorgeous she is, I know I wouldn't. But I do love Luka, more than my own life! So… there's something else." She took a deep breath, slightly nervous about what she was going to say. "I think we do have this one special person somewhere out there… I really do believe we only have one true love. You know, the one at the end of the red string. Fated lovers…"

The short haired girl was startled, and her expression softened. It was completely irrational and Miku did sound like an overly romantic seventeen-year-old teenager. But Gumi knew it wasn't like Miku to say something so naively idealistic, furthermore, she had never seen Miku so distressed. "And you think you and her are…?"

She reluctantly nodded. "It hurts so much not being able to be with her." She whispered, her mouth was dry and her throat was so tight just thinking about it. "I can't think, I can't take care of myself anymore…" Miku admitted, tears threatening to breach the rim of her eyes. She was starting to lose control and she knew it was mostly due to her excruciating weariness.

"…So she's why you've gotten yourself sick?" Gumi had noticed Miku had been slowly deteriorating. She shook her head worriedly. "Miku, inflicting this on your self won't help any! Don't do that!"

Miku slammed her hand on the kitchen counter, more out of distress than frustration. "I'm not doing it on purpose! It's not a whim! I… it's not 'cause I'm being immature or selfish!" She was trembling, holding Gumi's stare. "I do try to sleep, I just can't! I can't stop thinking of her! And…and more often than not, when I do try to eat, I throw it up! My stomach is tied up, my body hurts...I… just can't…deal with this." Miku couldn't hold her tears back as she bore the extent of her pain for the first time. "I d-don't want to b-be so dependent, Gumi! But I… I c-can't control my heart o-or my body...t-they both won't let me l-live without her…! S-she's… more essential to me than f-food or water!" Miku realized this truth as the words seemed to come out of their own will. "I _have_ to be with her… if I'm not…I think…I think I may die…" She sobbed. She collapsed into a crouching position, her legs felt too weak to support her.

"…" Gumi's expression had lost all tension; she was heartbroken to see Miku in such a distressed state. She could see she had only helped matters get worst by isolating her friend. She felt very guilty and was suddenly finding her own behavior completely stupid. It made her revulsion seem to vanish instantly. She came up to her friend and helped her back up, gently pulling her into her arms, both to comfort and to show Miku her feelings had gotten through. Gumi was upset with herself, thinking she could have let herself be so blinded to her friend's pain just to hold on to some 'safe' and comfortable reality, letting herself be convinced Miku would be growing out of it and everything would be back to 'normal'. "…things will work out." She tried to soothe her, slowly stroking her back.

Miku felt overwhelmed and torn. On one hand she was glad Gumi finally found it in her to understand, that the other girl was loyal enough of a friend to try and push through something that made her uncomfortable. On the other…Miku realized as she had explained her predicament, that as much as she understood why they should try and bury what could have been, she just couldn't do it. She couldn't fight this magnetic attraction, she couldn't forget her warmth or her tenderness, and she surely couldn't live the rest of her life with someone else by her side.  
She grasped very, very well what Luka had explained… that if they did take that step too far, if they talked about love, if they surrendered to their desires...there was no going back. The very truthfulness of this fact, ironically, was why Miku deeply understood now. She couldn't abide by Luka's wish and fight against the tide. Because it had already been too late to turn back when Luka decided to try and prevent it. It had already been too late when Luka realized what might be happening. Miku even believed that it had already been too late as soon as they had met. Hence…the kisses, the caresses…Luka and her _definitely_ had gone more than one step too far to pull back. They had already let themselves fall into each other's arms and were already profoundly in love, even if Luka refused to speak it. Miku knew deep down to her core that if they were definitely pulled away from each other, if this really was it, she would unquestionably wither away and die. Just like a torn butterfly.  
She cried harder, letting Gumi support most of the weight of her body. She knew she was a mess and didn't really care right now. She had no idea how she could face Luka again and not crumble like she had now.

The short haired girl let her friend cry until she was too exhausted to do so anymore. She continued to caress her back, supporting her. When she felt Miku become receptive again, she slowly moved her hand from her back to her head, stroking her hair gently. "…let's get you back to bed, 'kay?" She whispered, and felt her nod very faintly. Miku still hung on to her very tightly as Gumi slowly helped her walk to her room and into bed. When Miku was safely tucked in, Gumi sat by her for a few minutes, holding her stare in silence. She then sighed, looking away.  
"I'm sorry. For everything. I had no idea you were so serious about your feelings…about her." She decided to apologize for her behavior, tentatively reaching for her hand. "I guess I'll… just need some getting used to. I'll do my best to support you." She quietly added. "I sincerely hope things turn out for the best."

Miku nodded very slightly, drying her eyes. "Thank you…" She took a deep breath, feeling her mood stabilize. "I…I'll need to talk to her, we'll see…"

Gumi found it hard to believe Miku had a chance with a woman who could seduce any man. Why would such a woman go for another woman? "…Is she… do you think Megurine-san might be attracted to you?" She awkwardly asked.

"She is. Just as much as I am attracted to her." Miku sighed, letting herself sink deeper into her bed. She glanced at her friend and could see her surprise. "…I can guarantee she is…I didn't talk about fated lovers out of the blue, Gumi… What I experienced with her is…" She trailed off, suddenly aware she was probably telling a little too much. She shouldn't be exposing what had happened, especially not to someone who was just getting used to the idea.

Gumi was curious, but didn't have time to inquire any further. The doorbell rang, and she turned in the general direction of the sound. "…stay put, I'll go see who's there." She said as she stood, walking out of her room. Miki had been a step ahead of her, and as the redhead trotted to the door to get it, Gumi still decided to follow, curious.

"Hey kiddo!" Lily smiled as her gaze met Miki's dark red eyes. "Is Miku in? I need to talk to her cause I-"

Miki slammed the door in her face, and wordlessly headed back to her room, her expression blank. Gumi was absolutely shocked.

Lily opened the door again to let herself in and this time she met green eyes. "…what was that! What did I do?" The blond gawked, unbelieving.

Gumi shook her head, still stunned.

"…" Lily glanced at the corridor that led to the two girls' rooms and sighed, deciding she'd deal with Miki's behavior after having accomplished what she had come to do. "It's nice to see you, it's been a while." She hugged the green haired girl. "How are you?"

Gumi hugged her back. "Not so bad, what about you?"

"Well I was good, but now…" The blond made a face, motioning to the corridor where Miki had disappeared. "I don't know, it's the first time I ever see Miki angry… and she's angry with _me_. And I don't even know what I did."

Gumi shook her head again. She didn't know the extent of Lily's debauchery, but she knew she was no angel. She thought it could be any number of things, but decided not to elaborate on that. "…Maybe if you think it through you might find the reason…" She vaguely offered as she motioned for her to come in. "I heard you say you wanted to see Miku? She's sick, in bed."

Lily frowned slightly, removing her shoes. "Oh… well I'll be short… There's just something I need to talk to her about." Gumi nodded and made her way back to the kitchen as Lily headed to Miku's room, letting herself in. "Hey…I hear you're sick?"

Miku nodded, her eyes still slightly red. "…It's nothing. I don't think it'll be a problem for school tomorrow."

The older woman didn't look very convinced and walked to her bed to sit next to her. "You really don't look good, I wish I had some good news for you…" She grimaced. "I went and talked with Luka but she's so hard-headed. If she ever changes her mind, it won't be because of me." 

Miku turned in her bed to face her guest. "Thanks anyways…"

Lily sat on her bed in silence for a moment. She then decided to lie down next to her, staring at the ceiling. "…What will you do?"

Miku closed her eyes. "I don't know." She quietly said. "Right now it hurts so much, I… I wish I could stop thinking about her, do as she wishes me to… but I just can't. I won't be able to take it much longer…" Her voice broke slightly and Miku did her best to hold her own, she was too exhausted to cry again.

The blond turned her head to her, sensing her pain. "…You need to let her know."

"I can't… it'll hurt her." Miku pulled the covers above her head.

Lily sighed. "I think she's hurt both ways. But if you don't wanna tell her, what do you think you should do?"

The young woman, still hidden under her covers, exhaled very deeply. "I…I really don't know. I wish I could ask Meiko-san, she always has something wise to say…but I think Miki won't be really keen on seeing her here."

"Why?" Lily frowned, reminded of the earlier door slam.

Miku stayed silent a long moment, immobile. After long minutes, she pushed her head out of the covers to peek at the other woman. "…I… I told her you two were sort of seeing each other. She didn't take it well…in fact I'm surprised she didn't make a scene right now." She awkwardly explained.

"She slammed the door in my face." Lily's tone was deadpan.

Miku had a slightly pained expression. "Sorry."

"Damn. Miki was the last person I expected to be homophobe." Lily stared at Miku in disbelief, looking downright betrayed. "I was actually more worried about telling you than her." She ran her hand in her blond hair, thinking.

The teal haired young woman pulled the covers further down and started to sit up. "That's not it, I… I told her I was… I told her I'm in love with Luka. She took _that_ really well." She examined her attentively.

The older woman's expression went blank, then confused. "….huh? Why is it any different for me and Meiko then?"

"…It's because… Lily, homophobia isn't the problem." Miku held her breath a moment, she knew telling Lily might not fair for Miki, but she couldn't back down or else she'd have the blond pestering her until the end of time. Moreover, with the way Miki behaved, she knew Lily would have come to her sooner or later for explanations. "It's… the problem is you."

"Huh?" She scrunched her nose, her expression was quite unsophisticated.

The younger woman took another deep breath. "…Her problem is that _you_ are with Meiko-san." She really didn't want to say it. "…It's about you. It has nothing to do with Meiko-san…"

"…" Lily stared at her looking quite focused, but she didn't react.

Miku pursed her lips. "…you don't get it?"

She shook her head. "No."

"…How dumb can you be?" Miku mumbled, staring back at her.

"What?" The blond seemed slightly offended.

Miku sighed. "Lily…think."

It took another second and her eyes widened, she stood up abruptly. "Holy fucking Christ!"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The day had started very badly. Never mind her feeling like crap, Miku had gotten used to her degrading health. No, what weighted on her this time around was the most popular gossip magazine, a weekly one, having interviewed Gakupo. Miku had no idea what suddenly happened, but the man was now obviously resentful about Crypton making her Luka's new 'lover'. He had dished out all sorts of rude comments towards Miku, portraying her as some sort of depraved demoness having perverted Luka's mind. A succubus having seduced Luka for the sole pleasure of seeing him struggle to maintain his relationship with _his lover_. Miku raged at the nerve he had to declare he and the pink haired woman were truthfully lovers. But she understood why he did that; Luka was one of the most beautiful women there was, after all. With this set up, surely he was hoping the Gakupo/Luka fans would hurt her and Luka's project enough to kill it. That the pink haired woman would be set up with him again. It very unfortunately seemed to be working. Ever since she had set foot out of her apartment building, Miku had gotten so many dirty looks, whispered insults, and even a few hits below the belt. She had been tripped, pushed, she found gum in hair and her locker at school had been wrecked. She never realized the pink-purple pairing had so many fans.  
So when lunch came, Miku didn't want to move from her seat. She was feeling too sick to confront the bustling halls and the overcrowded cafeteria. She had decided she would eat in her classroom. Well… 'eat'. She wasn't hungry.

"Miku-chan, what's wrong with you?" The blonde boy sat before her. This was Miki's seat, but the redhead had gone out with Gumi and Rin to buy curry bread from the cafeteria.

Miku had her head resting on her crossed arms, lying unceremoniously on her desk. She had been staring out the window of the classroom in silence. "I was sick, didn't you hear?" She didn't glance at him.

"…That's not it. Everyone can see you're not yourself, you know." He pressed, his voice quite concerned.

"…" She couldn't answer, so she simply decided not to. The blue sky was quite beautiful that day, she noted. It didn't suit her mood in the least.

"….You look exhausted and sad all the time." Len laid his head on Miku's desk too to look her in the eyes, blocking the view on the outside world.

Miku thought the two of them must have looked quite peculiar if anyone was watching. "….it's work. Painful rumors. I get a lot of bullshit; people are very defensive of their favorite pairing." She pouted, still unmoving. His upside-down head was interesting enough for her not to move.

"I get that." He squinted his pale blue eyes. "But you've been like that for a month now, so I don't believe it's just that."

"…." She looked away, finally rising from her sluggish, moping position.

He sighed and straightened himself too, trying to hold her gaze. "Miku-chan… If it's any help, I'm sorry for what Rin keeps saying. I think it's just… she doesn't know how to deal with this." He tried, still doing his best to try and lift her spirits.

"…." Miku hadn't expected this, she turned back to him. She was slightly moved that he'd take the initiative to apologize and that he noticed it was indeed hurting her… even if it really wasn't her main problem these days.

Len smiled slightly at her, encouraged that his friend was finally being responsive. "You shouldn't feel bad about this project." He nodded. "You must have a lot of pressure already, and I know Rin's not helping any. But I… really think some people need to hear that it's okay. And that… you know… they don't have to hide. I think you and Megurine-san are doing something great, it's cool that you have the guts to take on that kind of message."

"…Thanks Len-kun, you have no idea how much that means to me." She reached to ruffle his already unruly blonde hair. She stared at him in a comfortable silence for a moment, but realized something about his explanation ticked her off. "…Do you have anyone in mind?"

He shrugged. "Well. Don't tell anyone I said this, but I… always thought…" He coughed. "…always had the feeling onee-san was different."

Miku raised her eyebrows. So he had guessed already. "Why so?"

"I can't say for sure. There's a lot of little things… I think that's why Rin thinks I look more like her than she does…you didn't notice?" Len's explanation didn't really make sense, and since Miku herself had no doubts about Lily's orientation before she was actually told the truth, she shook her head no. The blond boy sighed. "I…think she's…I don't know. Sometimes the feeling she gives off isn't like a woman, it's too masculine."

She kind of understood what he meant. "But you know… some really manly men… and some very, very womanly women are gay." Miku knew no womanlier woman than Luka.

"I don't know what else to say, I just think she really is that way." Len shrugged again.

"…you look fine with it." Her statement implied a question.

He blinked. "I am, I don't mind. I got over the shock a while ago."

Miku stayed silent, observing him. She wanted to rejoice, learning another one of her friends would accept her, but something still gnawed at her mind. "By any chance … do you think it's fine because 'two women is sexy?"

He grimaced, looking a bit insulted. "…She's my sister, Miku. Believe me, I _don't _think it's hot. No matter what her er.. partner looks like."

"So two men is fine too." She stated matter-of-factly.

"If it suits them, I guess it is?" He leaned back in his chair, holding her stare a moment. He looked up, seemingly thinking, then back down at her, very serious. "I gotta admit though…you and Megurine-san … _that's_ excellent. Can't wait for the promo shots." He joined his hands together in front of his face in apology. "Sorry."

Miku smiled for the first time that day.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Luka was over to review the costume propositions for the photo shoots and promotional video. Even if it was just an hour or two, squeezing a bit of time between school and supper, Miku was glad to see her. The pink haired woman had been getting increasingly more quiet, she lacked energy and she always looked like she was reflecting on something very deep and very dark. Miku had already known Luka was living the same hell she personally was, but it seemed to be getting worse. Miku wondered if she should tell her just how bad her own health had gotten, just how much the distance was killing her. But every time she felt like she could take no more and was about to tell her, every ounce of courage seemed to leave her body and Miku stayed silent.

"…Is Kaito your type of man?" Luka absentmindedly asked, disturbing Miku's thoughts.

"My type…?" She blinked. "…Why do you ask?"

Luka poked the whipped cream on her drink like she did last time they had been together. She sighed, looking unfocused and lethargic. Kaito had this image of the good boy a girl would like to take home to her parents. He looked like he'd be a caring husband and father. "I ran into him the other day and I thought… When you two had to play along for a while, you were believable." She explained.

Miku shrugged, resting down the pile of sketches papers. She indeed had liked working with him. He was respectful, considerate, listened to what she had to say, so of course she had been excited about the concept of prince charming. Kaito was pretty much perfect and she never understood why she never felt attracted to him. She had felt nothing more than esteem for a talented artist and good person… certainly not the same type of attraction she felt towards Luka. Which was quite weird because being a straight girl, it should have been the other way around. She should have esteemed Luka and been attracted to Kaito. It was another point that made her feel she was meant to be with the pink haired woman.  
The young woman observed her. "You and Kamui-san were believable, and yet…"

Luka nodded in understanding. As much as she felt sickened when he touched her, she knew she had managed to make it look otherwise. "You're right." What they made everyone believe didn't necessarily reflect the truth.

Miku could see the other woman seemed relieved, and instantly felt Luka might have been jealous. She liked the idea, it confirmed the other woman wouldn't let go of her. Miku decided to push slightly, wondering if it would make Luka jealous and possessive enough to make a move. "…But Kaito was nice, I guess. I did like being with him. I don't like being… sheltered and feeling useless. I'm not a damsel in distress. I'd rather feel like I'm equal to my partner… He wasn't macho in the least." She admitted, stretching her arms. "And he's…handsome."

Her turquoise eyes met Miku's a fleeting moment, and she knew the younger woman was able to read jealousy in them. "I see." She said a bit too coldly.

Miku continued, craving to feel needed. "I don't like facial hair… or any type of body hair at all in fact, so I like that he always was shaved clean. And his hair is really soft. He wasn't too tall or beefy either, I didn't feel overpowered, I felt comfortable in his arms for the photo shoots. But then again, maybe that was because he was always so careful with me. His hands were really delicate…" She seemed to realize something as she finished. "…like a woman's."

Luka looked at her very curiously, seemingly having realized the same thing. "Is that what you liked about him?" All the resentment she felt was gone.

"…I know. If that was what I liked about him, I could as well have been a woman; it would have been the same." Miku looked straight into her eyes as she said this, and Luka looked away. "But then again… thinking about being with just any woman…" She made a grimace and shook her head.

The pink haired woman felt a pang at her heart. "…being with that type of man is fine though?"

Miku was silent a moment, her eyes still on Luka's. "It might have been at some point, but not anymore." She admitted. "I've found my perfect match. So thinking about being with _anyone_ else is useless, it makes me feel gross." She explained very frankly. Miku knew such an answer was cruel for both herself and for Luka, but she couldn't stop herself. Before the other woman could utter any reprimand and tell her to stop it, Miku opened her mouth again. "What's _your_ type?"

She blinked, taken aback. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I somewhat talked about mine." Miku shrugged. She knew Luka already understood why she wanted to know, but Miku decided to play by the rules this time, bring up 'legitimate' reasons. "Also…men all seem to look at the same thing. I wonder what women who like women look at."

Luka sighed. "Everyone's different, Miku." She commented, trying to evade the question.

"But what do _you_ like?" The young woman pressed, staring intensely at her. With this, she knew her previous reasons instantly graduated to lame excuses, but she didn't care.

The pink haired woman felt her resolve weaken every time Miku was being so insistent, and so she gave in. "Feminine. And…delicate. I…don't like her to be taller than I am, I find I'm already a bit too tall for a woman. I like long hair, large eyes, and nice legs." She explained quickly, hoping Miku would be satisfied with this.

Of course, she wasn't. "And I remember you saying you don't like big breasts." She audaciously added, edging closer.

Luka stiffened, she knew her cheeks had reddened. "…I…do prefer when they're not…too large. It's part of the delicate element." She felt the need to be precise.

Miku felt very satisfied and told herself never again would she complain about her height or her small chest. "What's your favorite part then? On a woman's body?" Since Miku had always thought curvy women were so much more beautiful, she was curious. This question was somewhat justified; her thinking that a full chest was the most attractive thing on a woman's body was the origin of her complex about her shape after all.

Luka felt incredibly self-conscious and couldn't even look her way. "…Miku… what sort of question is that?" She whispered, nervous.

"I think a woman's body look better with _these_ curves, I just wonder what else is interesting." The young woman explained truthfully.

Luka sensed her stare and once again, she really felt she could do nothing but answer her. "…I like how the hips look with a flat stomach and… the rear."

Miku's hand instinctively went to feel her lower stomach and hips, conscious of how she looked. She remembered clearly when Luka took the liberty to grope her. She also remembered Luka had indeed described the bottom part of her, her legs, her hips, her ass, when she said she thought her body looked beautiful. Miku realized she fit the description of Luka's type to the very last detail.  
Even before she learned that though, she had already been absolutely sure Luka had been looking at her body. She knew so because she herself constantly stared at the other woman's and _she_ was supposed to be straight. She couldn't fathom that with such an intense attraction, Luka wouldn't be ogling her the same way she was. She did wonder though if Luka fantasized as much about touching and kissing her body as Miku was with Luka's. She so craved to feel her soft chest again…Miku cursed herself for not having had taken the opportunity the one time she could have brought her lips there, when she had managed to get Luka to let her bare the upper part of her body. She wondered, now that she knew what part of her body the other woman liked best, she wondered if Luka wanted to kiss her stomach down… if she would kneel in front of her to do so. A shiver coursed through her body and Miku decided to stop her train of thought before she lost it… but she knew this would be all she'd be able to think about the following nights.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Later in the afternoon, after Luka had left, Miku had invited herself at her neighbor's place. Miki was still training with her track team at school and Miku really didn't feel like being alone…though she really did nothing but flaccidly exist on Lily's couch. She stared at the ceiling, unable to move or think. Truthfully, she didn't want to think or she'd be daydreaming of Luka again. Blue eyes and blond hair came in her line of sight as Lily stood next to the couch Miku was lying on.

"Do you want something to drink?" The blond asked, still hovering over her.

"No, thanks." Miku turned on her side painfully.

Lily sighed and went to open her window. She sat on the edge of it, her body halfway outside into the nothingness, and lit up a hand-rolled cigarette. She took a deep breath and exhaled the smoke outside. "You can't go on like that."

The young woman lifelessly stared in her general direction. "I know."

There was another long silence, but it didn't feel uncomfortable. Lily still sat on the edge of the window after she was done smoking. "The two brats are coming over today. Has it gotten any better with Rin?"

Miku closed her eyes. "No, it got even worse. She stopped eating with me at school." She mumbled. "I think you shouldn't tell her you're into women… if you wanna keep your family whole."

"…I'll think about it." Lily looked outside into the cloudy sky. The forecast for the rest of the week was rain, which she dreaded. "…How's Miki?"

Miku would have scratched her cheek as she thought her answer, but she was too weary to do so. "…She looks fine. She just stopped talking about you."

Lily made a face. "She also stopped talking _to_ me. Doesn't even say hi." She bitterly said. She had no idea how she had been so unaware about Miki liking her, it was so obvious now that she thought about it.

"I think… it's her way to deal with the pain. If she forgets it, it doesn't exist." Miku quietly answered, trying to make out the other woman's expression.

"…yeah." The blond quietly sighed, looking lost. It bothered her a lot. The redhead usually made Lily feel reinvigorated with how energetic and positive she was. The blond also appreciated the innocence, honesty and openness; she always felt she could be herself around Miki, no bravado yet no pretending to be a nice person either. But now…cold silence, and Lily found it unexpectedly hard.

Miku realized it was the first time she saw Lily lacking self-assurance. She found herself thinking Miki's feelings might not be in vain.

The door opened, as Lily never locked it when she expected guests. and Len let himself in followed by his twin. "Onee-san, we're here!" He announced, and Lily was at the door in a second, the feeling she gave off was like nothing had happened. She greeted them and let them in. Only then did Len notice the Miku puddle on the couch. "Hi" He smiled at her.

She tiredly smiled back and sat up.

Rin looked annoyed and reluctant as soon as she noticed her presence. She didn't greet her. "What are you doing here?" She pouted, glaring at Miku.

There was a dreading silence filling the room, and Lily opened her mouth to say something, but Miku stood in a sudden movement. "I thought you were my friend, Rin-chan."

The young blond girl looked confused at how to react for a second. She dropped her school bag and stomped her foot childishly. "I don't want to see that sort of thing! You're above that!"

Miku had known and somewhat accepted the first part. But hearing that second sentence was fuel thrown into fire. "What the hell's that supposed to mean?" She snapped, advancing towards her.

"It's unnatural! And sick!" Her deep blue eyes were locked with Miku's teal orbs.

"You're the sick one! Why can't you just let others live the way they want, the way they need to?" She spat right back. Miku understood why Luka had kept saying it was wrong as she cried in her arms. What her psychotic mother had done to her, topped with hearing too many times things like what Rin had just said, one would inevitably start to believe it. It infuriated Miku. "You don't care how much you hurt other people, as long as your selfish little self is comfortable!"

It seemed to stab Rin just at the wrong spot. "No! _You_ don't care!" She balled her hands into fists, stomping her foot again. "What about your fans who look up to you? What sort of depraved example are you being! I'm not the only one who thinks you're doing something wrong! If I was, you wouldn't have people at school being like that with you!" Her face had turned red in anger and she was still holding Miku's hard glare. "Just thinking you'd do, you'd _want_ to do these things with another woman is-"

"Enough! Stop it!" Lily barked at her younger sister, making her silent. "Why should you or anyone care who she wants to be with in her bedroom? It makes no difference in _your_ life! It shouldn't!" She glanced at Miku, who seemed to have unwound a little. Lily took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to be reasonable. "Miku is your friend; she's done nothing to hurt you! Or to hurt anyone for that matter. You shouldn't be blaming her for something so insignificant."

The small blond shook her head vigorously. "Don't try to make me feel bad! I don't wanna see filthy things like that, and I-"

"So you'll just weed me out of your life too?" Lily cut in, deciding it wasn't fair to pretend she was only defending Miku.

There was a very sudden silence and every one of them was frozen in place. What Lily said was very self-explanatory, but Rin's expression was unsure. "What…w-what does that mean?" She carefully asked.

"It means exactly what you heard. I'm asking you if you'll stop coming over to see me just 'cause I'm a dyke." She bluntly answered.

Miku raised her eyebrows slightly, she didn't expect such honesty, or to be there when Lily would tell her siblings. There was another long silence before the twins reacted.

"D-don't play mind games with me! It's not funny!" Rin warned the tall woman.

Len's eyes darted between his two sisters. "I…don't think she's joking, Rin." He said, his gaze on Lily's as he wrapped an arm around Rin's shoulders. "I think you'd better sit down…" Rin was completely shocked and he felt she needed his support, but he did offer a small smile to his oldest sister, letting her understand he was fine with the news.

Lily smiled back dejectedly before she sighed and decided she should start preparing their supper. There was nothing more she could say.

Miku excused herself quietly; she knew she should leave them to deal with all this. Moreover, Miki would be getting home very soon, and she'd be starving.  
Setting foot inside her home, the young woman heard a foreign ringtone in the living room, and following the sound, she was surprised to find an iPhone. She only knew one person who owned one, and so she guessed Luka had forgotten it a few hours earlier. Miku stared at the gadget for a second and smiled slightly; it would be a good excuse to see Luka again tomorrow. She went to set it on her desk so she wouldn't forget it as she left for school the next morning, and decided she'd write Luka an e-mail, informing her she'd be dropping by to give it back on the next day.  
After having eaten and bathed, Miku moved on to her homework, but the black phone resting on her desk caught her eye once again. She decided to check if it was damaged, turned it on and immediately noticed Luka hadn't set a password. Curiosity got the better of her, and she couldn't help browsing it. Miku felt her heart beat much faster when she saw that Luka's most listened to songs were all Miku's songs. Her cheeks reddened when she discovered that Luka's downloaded pictures consisted only of Miku's photo shoots.  
The young woman carefully rested the gadget back down on her desk and stood shakily to go lie in bed. She closed her eyes, reflecting. Miku had seen the older woman's condition deteriorate the same way she was. She had known Luka was also suffering from the forced distance between them. But it was still a reality check to discover what she had. Miku felt so much more conscious that Luka yearned for her just as much, and that Luka wasn't getting over her feelings either. That no matter what Luka was saying they should be doing, she would never be forgetting Miku either.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

As Miku left school on the next afternoon, it was raining. She hadn't forgotten her umbrella, but the storm was raging to such an extent, the meagre shelter said umbrella offered made very little difference. When she got to Luka's apartment, she was soaked. She quickly checked to make sure the other woman's phone was safe from the water before she knocked on the door. Luka answered it shortly and her eyes widened.

"Are you alright?" She looked very worried. "Come in, I'll go get you a towel." She left the younger woman in the entrance for only a few short seconds. Miku hadn't even removed her shoes and Luka was back with a very large sand-colored towel. She enveloped Miku in it and wrapped her arm around her, leading her into her room. "You didn't have to come with such a storm outside…!" She scolded her, concern evident in her voice.

"You need your phone…" Miku mumbled, shivering.

"But not so badly!" Luka answered, worried. "I'll lend you something to wear until your school uniform's dry." She fished through her drawers and stared at her night clothes a second. Luka only owned lingerie-type expensive silk nightwear, so she decided to offer the younger girl short lingerie shorts and a mismatched t-shirt she wore on her days off. Miku would at least be somewhat decent in this. "I'll… go prepare a hot drink while you change…" She excused herself and headed for the kitchen to let Miku change in peace.

Miku took off her clothes and dried herself slowly, feeling her body quite cold and heavy. She still smiled as she pulled the shirt above her head. It was all worth it if she could wear Luka's clothes. Moreover, she got to spend more time with her while her school uniform dried, and they wouldn't be working this time around. She finished changing and sat on the bed to continue drying her hair with the towel. Luka was back in a moment, she had brought an overcoat as well as the promised hot drink.

"There…" She wrapped Miku in the overcoat and waited for her to be settled before she gave her the cup. "Don't do something like that ever again." Luka scolded her again as she picked up the very wet school uniform Miku had just removed.

Miku sipped her tea coyly. Had it been someone else's phone, she wouldn't have braved such a storm to give it back. In the end, it was just an excuse to get to see Luka sooner. "…I… really needed to be with you." She admitted.

The pink haired woman clenched her teeth. She hated that Miku was being relentless, she hated even more that she couldn't help but give in and she absolutely hated above all that she knew they were only making matter worse with each passing day. "…You shouldn't be thinking like that…" She reminded her.

Miku very slowly turned to her and met her eyes. She could see what the other woman had said was only their agreed protocol. She could see what really read under all this. "…You needed to see me too, didn't you…?"

"…" There it was. Luka knew Miku would keep throwing the ball in her camp, and she hated how she just couldn't keep it. Every time, she just had to throw it back, she had to confirm yet again. She hated that she wasn't rational enough to lie. "Yes." She lowered her head.

Miku's cold fingers curled against the hot cup in her hands. She had reached her limit. She stood abruptly, resting her cup noisily on the bedside table. "Enough! I can't deal with-" She started, but stopped immediately. Her head was spinning from the sudden move and she felt weaker than ever before.  
"...I don't feel so good, Luka…" Miku murmured, reaching out her hand to her for support. She couldn't make out the older woman's expression before everything went black.  
When she opened her eyes, she didn't recognize her surroundings immediately. It was now very dark, and she couldn't make out most of the room. She could tell it was orderly, with a very calm ambiance; something about it was very soothing. She tried to sit up, but felt dizzy and lied back down, bringing the covers up to just under her eyes. She recognized the scent, though unlike Luka's clothing, it smelled more of her body than of her perfume. Miku understood she was lying in Luka's bed and closed her eyes again to enjoy it the best she could. Everything slowly came back to her.  
She heard light footsteps approaching; she tiredly opened her eyes again, and was met with Luka's turquoise ones.

"…Hey, how are you?" Luka rested a glass of water on the bedside table and sat on the side of the bed.

Miku looked her over, the woman was in nightwear. The light pink nightgown she was wearing seemed to be made of silk and it was decorated with black lace. It had spaghetti straps, a deep V-neck cut and its length only came down mid-thigh, exposing quite a lot of skin. It clung to her body in all the right places, showing off both her generous curves and her tiny waist. Miku closed her eyes; it made her feel so deprived to be able to look but still be unable to possess her. "I feel dizzy…" She simply whispered. She wanted to pick up where she had left off before she fainted, but she was scared the emotions would be too much again and her body would collapse.

"You had a bad fever." Luka brought her hand to feel her forehead. "It seems to have gone down… but I already called Lily and asked her to let Furukawa-san know you wouldn't be coming home tonight. I can't let you move in such a state, I'm already worried enough."

"I'm sorry…" Miku offered.

Luka sighed. "Don't be sorry…It's not your fault…" She ran her fingers lovingly in the teal bangs.

"Yes it is." The young woman still hadn't opened her eyes, enjoying Luka's comforting touch. She missed these tender caresses terribly. "I don't eat, I don't sleep…"

"…" Luka's fingers trailed from her bangs to her face, cupping her cheek very gently. "Take care of yourself, Miku..." She pleaded earnestly.

She reached slowly to touch Luka's hand, compelling it to remain against her cheek as she pressed her face softly against it. "I do try to sleep… and I'm never hungry, I can't help it." Miku opened her eyes and looked at the other woman, seizing her once again in her skimpy nightgown. "But it's not that bad if making myself sick makes me end up in your bed..." She whispered impudently, pulling her hand from her cheek to her lips. "I missed your touch." She kissed inside her hand.

Luka took her hand back, shaking slightly. "Miku…don't…"

The young woman sat up slowly, wanting to close some of the distance between them. "I miss your lips so badly." She added, reaching for her.

"Please, Miku." Luka implored her, moving her hand to her shoulder, inciting her to lie back down.

Miku complied, too weak to resist. "…I'm delirious. I can't control what I'm saying." She decided to use the easiest pretext.

"…." Luka shook her head, sighing. She was heartbroken to know she was hurting the young woman to the point it made her ill, and she felt her own resolve stretched well beyond her limits. This is why she kept indulging, yielding a bit more every time Miku pushed for small things. This is why she didn't take back her hand this time around as Miku caressed it again, slowly taking it from her shoulder to kiss it for a second time.

Miku kissed her palm, then her delicate fingers. She was so very glad Luka didn't pull away again but it still felt futile, as she wasn't being responsive. What Miku needed at the moment was comfort, care, love, and she clutched her hand. "…Give me something…!" She suddenly pled. Her breath caught in her throat, and she exhaled deeply to try and keep in control. She raised her gaze to meet Luka's again. "It would heal me…" She tried, her eyes supplicating. The pink haired woman seemed unable to remain of ice, as she bent slowly. She hovered above her lips for a second and pulled back to kiss her cheek.  
Miku was frustrated. "Cheater." She brought the covers over her head and turned her back to her, scooting the most far away she could from the side of the bed Luka was sitting on. She was left to sulk alone under the bed sheets for a short moment before Miku felt the covers being pulled up. She was certain she'd receive once again one of Luka's lecturing, telling her how childish she was being and urging her to stop thinking about them. But Miku felt a weight shift on the bed, and Luka's presence was heightened. Miku realized she was lying next to her, and she froze. She felt Luka's arms around her waist pull her closer, and slowly she turned to look at her. The heat emanating from Luka's almost naked body was so inviting, it drew her in.

"…Sleeping like this…will be enough?" The pink haired woman asked quietly.

Miku nodded and hugged her very close. She rested her head on the exposed skin of her chest, relishing in the pleasure to feel the warmth and softness against her cheek. She allowed herself to breathe in the scent of her body. Miku was unable to describe it. Luka's perfume somewhat reminded of roses, but her body's scent was so much sweeter, so much warmer, so very enticing. She couldn't help but clutch her closer and push her head deeper into the soft flesh of her chest.

Luka groaned very faintly. "…Be nice." She warned her in a soft voice, one hand playing in the teal hair. "Sleep." She added even more softly.

Miku nodded again and moved her head a bit higher, settling to nuzzle against her neck. The simple idea she would wake up to Luka's presence soothed her enough to fall asleep almost immediately. 

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Lily stuck her foot in the opening before the redhead could slam the door in her face again. "Miku fainted." She threw the news to get her attention and Miki opened the door again, looking worried. Before the smaller girl had time to ask anything, the blond retold what Luka had explained on the phone. "She was at Luka's place when it happened. She had some fever too, so Luka put her to bed and she'll be sleeping over at her place."

Miki stared in silence a second. "…Is she ok though?" She still looked worried. 

Lily shrugged. "Luka said she was, that she just needed rest and she'll be fine tomorrow."

"Ok." Door slam.

"…" Lily fished in her pocket for her keys. Miku had given her a spare in case of emergency, and Lily deemed this to be an emergency. She let herself in and removed her shoes before searching for the redhead. She found her in her room, playing some noisy game on some portable console. "…Miki." Lily sat next to her.

Miki didn't falter, still mashing the buttons on the small console.

She sighed. Lily had known it wouldn't be an easy conversation, but she had at least hoped the redhead would listen to her. "You suddenly became real cold…I deserve some explanations, don't I?" She tried to reason with her.

Miki pouted, not turning to the blond yet.

It made her frown. "You can't ignore me, I won't go away. I want to talk and cuddle like we used to." Lily explained simply.

Miki turned her back to her, and discarded her PSP to cross her arms. "I don't want to hug you anymore."

The blond stared at the back of her head. She was glad to have gotten a reaction. "Why?"

"Because." She childishly answered.

"What did I do?" Lily bent on the side, trying to meet her eyes.

"If you want to cuddle with someone, go find Mei-nee-san!" Miki angrily threw, meeting her gaze for the first time.

Lily's expression softened and she closed in, pulling the smaller girl to her body. She didn't know what reaction to expect; she was ready to get punched as much as she was ready for an emotional breakdown. Miki was very stiff and unable to move for a long moment, and then she slowly brought both hands to cover her face, sobbing.

"…It's… the first time you hug me…" She whispered. "It's… it's always me… you never…not once…"

Her cracked voice sounded like a different person, and Lily was shaken. These last few days, she was quickly becoming awfully aware her idea of the younger girl had been so superficial and shallow. Not only had she not noticed her feelings when she knew she would have in any other case, but she still was so troubled to be perceiving anything else than bubbly energy coming from Miki. This mature and pained voice was forcing Lily to look at a reality she had been unaware of.  
"….I'm sorry. I'm sorry I hurt you…" She kissed the head of red hair, and it made Miki turn in her arms to hug her back. Again, Lily had the very strange feeling she had somehow been blinding herself to a lot, because the body in her arms didn't feel like what she thought she recalled Miki's to be. In her mind, Miki's body was that of a ten year-old child, it wasn't supposed to be desirable. Yet she now noticed it was a young woman who pressed against her. Like Miku, Miki was small and not very well endowed but she wasn't a little girl anymore. The blonde had a hard time believing it, but she could feel her heart beat faster. She hugged her tighter, trying not to think of these things she was realizing. This wasn't why she was there or why she wanted the redhead to go back to normal. Lily's reasons were much more genuine than that.  
"I miss seeing you smile…" She whispered.

It made Miki sob again. "…It hurts…" She rasped, burying her face in the blond hair. "It…r-really hurts…."

"I'm so sorry." Lily kissed her head again. "Is there anything I can do?"

"…." She sniffed and slowly raised her head to look at her. Their faces were only two inches apart. "…I love you, I think."

The blond blinked. "You think?"

Miki lowered her head slightly but kept her eyes locked with Lily's. "…I don't…I've never been in love before, I don't know how to tell if it's love." She mumbled.

Lily's fingers went to the red bangs, pushing them out of her eyes and encouraging her to raise her head back up. "Tell me what you want, and I'll tell you if it's love."

Miki pursed her lips. "I want…" She thought it through a short moment. "I want babies with you."

The older woman was speechless a second. "… …That's impossible, you know?" She frowned.

Miki frowned too. "I want to marry you, and have babies and live happily ever after." She declared, deciding she was above nature's laws.

Lily sighed. If she was dear enough to her to want to not only spend the rest of her life with her, but to have that kind of dream, she knew it probably was love indeed. "But… that's the future, what do you want right now?"

Miki stared at her a short moment, quite serious. "I want to see you naked."

"That's straightforward." She commented.

The redhead stared at her with the same stern look. "You asked if there was anything you could do." She reminded her.

"…" Her expression fell.

Miki reached to undo the button and zipper of the other woman's pants, exposing her underwear. "I'm serious." Her deep crimson eyes were dead set on the icy blue ones, and her expression was uncompromising.

Lily released her to stand. She pulled her tight shirt over her head, threw it to the ground, and unceremoniously pulled down her skinny jeans, removing them completely. She stood in her underwear and stared at the redhead. "Is this enough?"

Miki shook her head no. "…Naked. I mean I want to see _everything_. And then I want to kiss. And sleep in the same bed. And do those things adults do."

The way she said it made Lily believe for a short moment Miki had no idea what she was asking for. "What do adults do?"

"They touch there." Miki pointed at Lily's crotch. "And they get to kiss everywhere too." She still sat on her bed, looking more comfortable than she should have as she asked for this.

Lily held her breath a second. She couldn't help but think of Luka and the test of willpower she must have faced when she had to say no to Miku. She herself was finding the moral dilemma to be extremely challenging…so it must have been hell for Luka, with whom the stakes were much higher because of her job and reputation, and who had already been in love with Miku at that point. She took a step towards the bed. That's why she admired Luka so much; Lily herself was too weak to say no. She knew she'd probably regret it when she'd have to deal with the consequences, but at the moment, she couldn't help but give in. "Okay. Let's do that." She got back in bed and laid Miki on her back, carefully lowering herself to lie on top.

Miki observed the naked skin closely, caressing her shoulders and arms with the tip of her fingers. "…Do you love me?"

The blond stayed quiet a moment, wondering what she should reply. She decided to answer the truth, as it would just complicate things if she didn't. "I'd be lying if I said I did." She very honestly answered. "I'm not used to thinking of you as anything other than a kid. But...I can guarantee you're very important for me, Miki." She then explained. "Does that change what you want? Do you want to stop now?"

She shook her head. "No. That's what I expected." The small girl continued her light caresses. "Lily, you never made excuses and you're always honest, I would have been mad if you started lying now." Her hands went to her back and she unclasped her bra. "I'll show you I'm not a kid. I'll make you love me."

**- continued in ch.10**

This last part should have been in ch.10, but as the words were stacking up (I have been working on both chapters at the same time) I realized I wanted ch.10 to unfold in Luka's room, from start to finish. 8D  
Don't worry, I won't keep you waiting long ;D


	10. Chapter 10

**I was overwhelmed with how many reviews I got, a huge THANK YOU to everyone who took time to write something. I particularly like reading the detailed/long ones, it gives me tips on where to spend a little more time on. :D (as I have read most of you enjoyed Miki x Lily, I'll make sure to add some of it here and there along the way ohohohohoh)**

Moving on, **MAJOR WARNINGS.**  
**This chapter features explicit content and isn't suitable for… …screw this, I told you this chapter would unfold in Luka's room and I rated the fic M. :D  
**

Miku opened her eyes in the middle of the night and Luka's arms were still safely around her body. She could feel very faint breathing against her cheek, making her awfully aware of how close they were. She actually felt comfortable though, and she really didn't want to move. But considering how refreshed and alert she felt, she still decided to raise her head timidly to look at the clock, careful not to disturb Luka. It read two in the morning. Considering she had fainted around five, she had been asleep for about nine hours… she hadn't slept that much in weeks. No wonder she felt so revitalized. Miku smiled smugly to herself as she glanced at the other woman. She had known Luka's arms would heal her.  
Miku rested her head back on her pillow, observing her features as she slept. Luka had looked so tired these last weeks, Miku was very glad to see her sleeping so soundly. The older woman had probably been going through the same hell she went through, unable to take care of her basic needs, debilitated by her pain. Miku traced her features with her index and stopped it on her lips, staring intently. It would be so easy to indulge.  
"Luka…?" Miku observed her closer. "Luka, are you sleeping..?" She asked, even if Miku saw she obviously was.  
She waited another moment, still considering a little indulgence as she studied her lips. It was too much of a golden opportunity; Miku swiftly decided she was ready to face Luka's wrath if she had to afterwards. Obtaining another kiss was definitely worth a scolding. Miku immediately closed the short distance between their lips, wrapping an arm around her waist with great care. She kissed her very gently, afraid of disturbing her sleep, and very tenderly sought to express all the love she was forced to keep bottled up. She felt Luka kiss her back and stiffened, not having expected it. She pulled away slightly to gaze at her, hoping to see that Luka had decided to give in, hoping this was the end of her torture…but the other woman still seemed asleep. Miku understood she had only responded instinctively and sighed, disappointed. But it was to be expected, a fully awake Luka wouldn't so easily give into their desires after all. A fully awake Luka would have pushed her away and got out of bed, scolding her along the way.  
Miku then decided it probably was better that she was asleep…this way she could have a moment of peace to enjoy her presence. She traced her lips again and let her fingers trail to comb the pink hair gently. She sorely missed being able to touch her. She had felt so deprived, being unable to embrace her or even give the most innocent of caresses.  
She snuggled closer and Luka's hand, still around her waist, sleepily clutched Miku's shirt. The young woman smiled slightly, her own hand going to Luka's shoulder, then her upper arm. She started to massage her slowly as she went down, her hand then following her slim waist, caressing her hip. Going back up, following her body's contours, Miku's fingers went to trace her jaw, her lips again, back down her neck and torso…Quickly, she noticed Luka's skin had heated considerably. She understood that even if she was sleeping, Luka's body was reacting to her touch the same way she had just languidly kissed her back.  
Miku stayed very still a moment. "…Luka?" Her voice was very, very quiet.  
She was answered with a half-sigh half-moan. It gave Miku a serious shiver; she loved Luka's voice, and it being tainted with lust seemed to fully awaken all her senses in an instant. Miku knew she had reached a boundary she shouldn't be crossing, but her skin tickled, her heart accelerated and she felt her own body heat to the tips of her fingers. She couldn't help kissing Luka again, and once more the pink haired woman was responsive. A little too much even, and Miku quickly felt that if she didn't stop, she would probably lose it and jump her for real. Or wake her. Or both.  
Miku pulled away, extracting herself from Luka's arms, feeling she had been edging much too close to her own limits. She wanted so much more, but she knew she absolutely couldn't take it any further, not without the other woman being awake enough to consent. Moving to her side of the bed, she took a deep breath to try to clear her mind. She didn't have the opportunity to do so though, the other woman drowsily shifted her position, crawling to her again. Her arm went back around her waist, pulling at her, another suggestive sigh escaping her when their bodies came fully in contact again. Miku bit her lip. She was reminded of when she had that dream of Luka and had been groping Miki. She suddenly found the circumstances very unfair. Right now Luka was surely dreaming of her, dreaming of being with her…and Miku was right there, right in her arms, ready and willing! Yet Luka still wouldn't touch her, at least not while being fully conscious. And as Miku could feel her lips explore her skin, Luka's sluggish and unfocused movements making it clear she was still asleep, she really wondered which god she pissed off.  
Luka's lips approached hers again, and Miku knew she shouldn't, she had already stolen two kisses, but she couldn't resist meeting her lips. Luka's movements were slow but heated nonetheless. Miku opened her mouth and pulled closer again. Luka clumsily shifted her position. Miku brought one hand to her waist and the other up to caress her cheek. She felt Luka move again, then again, and Miku didn't quite understand why she kept shifting. When she started squirming oddly, Miku broke the kiss. She narrowed her eyes as Luka slowly bent in what reminded her of the fetal position.  
She observed her curled, squirming form and it suddenly dawned on her. Miku gulped. She remembered having woken up a few times doing things like this in her sleep when she dreamt of Luka.  
Her mind and heart were torn. She hoped she was right about what she thought was going on…because she absolutely wanted to see it. She hoped she was wrong because she had no idea how she was going to be able to deal with what would happen next if she was right. Luka gasped again and Miku knew she was right. She hesitantly lifted the bed covers to look underneath. Luka's nightgown was bunched up too high, exposing her stomach, thighs and underwear, and one of her hands was buried in the small lace garment, seemingly stroking as her hips moved steadily.  
The teal haired young woman's eyes widened even if she had expected it, and her heart felt like it would burst out of her chest. Her body suddenly was hot, her skin was damp, yet she was shivering and felt suddenly so aware, yet her mind seemed blurry at the same time. She could only stare a short moment before she put the covers down. She knew she had provoked it, kissing and caressing her, but now she had absolutely no idea what to do.  
"…Luka?" She gulped, trying to think of something else, _anything_ else so she wouldn't lose her mind. "L-Luka…!" She shook her, deciding the best solution was to wake her.

The pink haired woman cracked her eyes open, looking half-confused, half-dazed. "wha…" She suddenly gave a start, realizing her hand was in her underwear, and understanding what she had been doing. "W-what is it, Miku…?" She tried to play it smooth as she slowly removed her hand, doing so very subtly under the covers. She hoped dearly Miku hadn't noticed.

There was no way she could tell Luka she had caught her, and Miku blanked out for a second completely at a loss for a cover story. "…I…. …ha-had a nightmare." She lied, not knowing what else to say.

It felt so forced, Luka couldn't help but wonder if Miku was telling the truth. The younger woman looked uneasy and embarrassed, and Luka could only attribute it to her having noticed. They looked at each other with a strained silence pervading the air between them. Luka decided to pretend she believed her and played along. She cleared her throat, wanting to rid her voice of the sleep before she spoke again. "…D-do you want to tell me?... about your nightmare?" She quietly said as she subtly replaced her nightgown down under the covers. Even if said covers hid everything there was to see, she still felt too exposed having it bunched so high.

Miku shook her head no. "I woke you up 'cause I…needed… …you to comfort me." She decided to make up another excuse. Luka seemed to be relaxing slowly and she soundlessly exhaled. They stared at each other again, this time more comfortably thanks to this blanket of pretense.  
Miku's eyes followed down the other woman's exposed neck and shoulders, to what disappeared under the covers. She knew what state Luka's body was in. Just thinking about it was making her lose her right mind. She stared into her eyes. "…I need comfort, can't you cuddle me?"  
She knew Luka couldn't say no without admitting to the reason why; her body being…dangerously stimulated. Miku knew it was cruel, but she craved too much for anything that made her feel intimate with Luka, she craved her too much to help herself. So being embraced when she knew the other woman was in such a carnal state, she wouldn't let it pass. Luka was hesitating to hug her, so Miku decided to take charge and stick herself to her anyways. Luka grabbed her shoulders instantly, but her hands didn't seem to know whether to push her or pull her. There was an awkward silence again.  
She felt much more heat than usual emanating from Luka's body. Miku felt the urgent need to tear her nightgown off her body to experience it fully. The hand on Miku's left shoulder, Luka's right hand, was slightly slimy. Miku knew why…and it made her curious and excited. She took a deep breath and took her hand in hers, peeling it off her shoulder. "Hug me?" She brought it to her mouth and kissed her fingers 'innocently'. "Please?"

Luka wanted to die. She felt Miku's lips on her still humid fingers before she could stop her. It took every single ounce of strength in her to not react. "...Y-yes…. Certainly…" She whispered, almost tearing her hand away from Miku's grip. She hugged her tightly, shutting her eyes and trying her best to remain in control.

Miku rested her head against her torso, listening to her erratic heartbeat. She licked her lips and was somewhat disappointed the taste was too faint to make out. She closed her eyes, sighing contently. She had expected to relax into her, as she always did, but the rhythm of Luka's body was distracting her; her hefty breathing, needy embrace, the heavy pounding of her heart. Miku clutched at her right back, pressing her body against hers, making herself quiver with lust. She brushed her lips against her skin 'accidentally'. Luka held her breath.  
This situation was completely absurd, Miku thought. She knew both of them were profoundly in love with the other and both of them made themselves sick over the other. And right now, there was nothing they both needed more than to consummate this love. Miku decided she wanted to try and push, hoping her presently foggy mind would make Luka surrender.  
"…I know." She declared, her lips on her skin again. She forced her leg between Luka's thighs and pressed it to her, feeling warmth and the humid fabric stick to her thigh. Luka gasped, again sending a shiver down Miku's spine. "I know… about that." Miku specified.

Her body was shaking and she could do nothing but hang on to her, afraid to move. "….I…knew it. You didn't… …have a nightmare…" Luka almost choked on her words. Breathing in to talk was proving difficult, as each intake of air pressed her chest into Miku's body…and even such a small thing was threatening to make her completely lose control.

Miku nodded. "….I'm sorry I lied." She could feel Luka was edging on her limits; this was why she dared to kiss her neck slowly. "I know you were dreaming of me." She wanted to break her resolve, she needed her to crumble and surrender. "… …Why only dream? I'm right here."

Luka was so overwhelmed, she couldn't find it in herself to reprimand her or to push her away. "…I… I _know_." She only whispered.

Silence once again, and Miku could take no more. She pushed her head up, forcing her into a kiss, and shattered what was left of their restrains. Luka kissed her back, unable to resist, and pulled herself on top in an aggressive motion. Miku managed to keep her leg firmly pressed between the older woman's thighs as she shifted their position. The kiss hastily escalated into unshackled passion. Luka's weight pressing down on her reminded her of the first time they had kissed, and the younger woman pushed against her, wanting like mad to feel the heat and curves of Luka's body even closer. Both of her hands ran down her back, and feeling no bra, Miku suddenly became hyper-aware that Luka wore nothing but a skimpy nightgown and the black lace panties she'd just seen. She felt virtually no barrier and Luka hungrily kissing her back encouraged her to push even more. She shamelessly let one hand go to her chest, massaging freely through the thin silk, almost as if there had been no fabric at all. Luka let her, she even pressed into her touch, moaning in her mouth. Miku could feel her nipple become erect as she worked her chest, and became aware again of the fabric of the other woman's moist underwear sticking to her thigh. She remembered the first time they had kissed, how she had instinctively used Luka's thigh to pleasure herself. She let her other hand trail down the taller woman's spine, sliding it onto her rear, encouraging Luka to move her hips and grind against her. She was delighted to feel her do so, the warm dampness gumming her thigh more with each roll she did with her hips.  
Luka opened her mouth to breathe deeper as she kissed her. Miku pulled at the nightgown, trying to yank it off her. Luka's skin heated up to the point where it became moist. Miku's thigh became slick with her wetness as the slow pace of her hips was picking up and Luka gripped desperately at the bed sheets on each side of Miku's head. Miku understood Luka was half-way there and felt electrified knowing she just might climax in her arms. She decided not to think of how wrong things could turn out afterwards, when Luka would be thinking with a clear head. Miku's hand left her chest and she hugged her very tight, moving slightly against her. Luka's heavy panting prevented her to kiss her the way she wanted, so Miku latched herself to her neck. She relished in hearing her heavy, gasping breath in her ear, in feeling her weight push her down against the mattress, in feeling so surrounded by her, at how the pink haired woman seemed to be burning hotter and hotter.  
"Miku…" Luka breathlessly whispered her name as she searched to meet her lips again. "Miku…"  
The young woman shivered just as she did every time she heard the other woman's voice tainted with desire, she met her lips again and again. "I love you…" Luka added almost inaudibly between kisses.

Miku broke away, her eyes wide.  
The indulgent bliss melted off Luka's expression and slipped into shocked realization in a second. She stared back at Miku with equally wide eyes, her body now completely frozen. There was a crushing silence in which both their heavy breathing resonated in the room.  
Finally, an unbelieving smile crept on Miku's features; her hands went to the taller woman's cheeks, cupping them gently. "Luka…you…"

She tore away from her touch as if she'd just woken up and weakly lifted herself off the younger woman, putting some distance between them. "…We weren't supposed to…w-we had agreed we wouldn't…" Luka shakily whispered, catching her breath. "…I'm sorry…"

Miku watched her move away, incredulous. Luka slowly got off her, sliding her body to get out of bed, obviously trying to regain some control. Miku sat up and caught her arm before she could stand, forcing her to stay put. "Don't you dare." She murmured, frustration getting her better of her. She couldn't take rejection anymore, not when she pertinently knew Luka returned every ounce of her love and every ounce of her desire. Her hard gaze met the other woman's staggered one. "…Haven't you realized it was too late to start with?" The young woman whispered between clenched teeth, angry. "I can't stop these feelings. Neither can you, no matter how hard you try."

The truth stabbed right at Luka's heart and she couldn't hold her gaze. She was sick and tired of trying to pretend for everyone else that what she felt for Miku wasn't what a woman should feel for another. She felt worn-out and exhausted about fighting to disguise the truth when they both knew, when it only served to hurt Miku and deprive both of them. But she still summoned everything that was left of her resolve to open her mouth and talk. "…We both know, Miku... It's not wise…" She reminded her shakily.

"I don't care!" She shouted, holding back her tears. Her gaze met Luka's again, determined not to back down. "You…keep saying it's your nature to be _that way_, that…that you want to spare me…but…I… …_My_ nature, Luka, my nature is to want _you_ among everyone in the whole world!"

She held her breath. "…That's a bit-"

"No!" Miku pulled her arm again, crawling closer. "I never felt like this with anyone, I know you never did either, and I _know_ neither of us will ever feel that way with anyone else ever again!" She clutched her arm so tight, she would have been afraid to hurt her had she not been in such a distraught state.

Luka opened her mouth slowly, but shut it again without being able to utter a single word. Miku's expression wouldn't allow her to repeat her already much too worn out explanations.

It was dark in the room, but not dark enough that Miku couldn't see Luka's features, even with the distance. She could see the older woman was shaken. She could see she was at loss and she could see her pain, her fear. It made the young woman's throat tighten, her chest squeezed as if a heavy weight was pushing her down and her previously feverish body suddenly grew cold. But she pushed through her emotions. "I want to be with you!" Her plead wasn't loud, but full of emotion. "I love you…" She added, her voice so much clearer than she expected it to be.

Luka bowed her head slightly, breaking eye contact as she brought a shaking hand to her mouth.

Miku slowly released her arm. "I know you're scared for me, but… but right now it's even worse. I think I'm slowly dying of heartache." She closed in, trying to meet her gaze. "Luka…It's like the butterflies…" She whispered, trying to smile. "I'm… made to be with you. I can't be without you. I have to be with you to be whole." Miku reached for her hand. "…And I know you feel the same. You need me; you're withering away without me." She breathed quietly. Luka finally met her eyes again and Miku could see she was right. Everything that reflected in those beautiful teal orbs confirmed she was right. She felt Luka squeeze her hand softly and it replaced Miku's forced smile with a real one.  
"I'm scared too." Miku admitted. "I'm scared like I've never been before…but nothing matters more to me than you. So…I'll be fine, no matter everyone else…no matter the pain or who we could lose…no matter _what_…" She took a deep, shivering breath. "…I'll be fine, all I need is for you to confirm to me that _you_, deep down inside, don't think 'we' would be a mistake…" Miku finished, watching her expectantly.

This was Luka's breaking point. "…My god, I don't…of course I don't…" Her answer was as quiet. She was tired of fighting her true feelings, she was tired of pushing Miku away and hurting her, and she had stretched both of their limits well beyond what was reasonable. Luka had tried to keep things as they should be in this society. She hadn't selfishly taken her on the first occasion…but now it would only be downright foolish, even dangerous for both of them if she didn't accept her. "I also believe this is how it should be." She added as she slowly released her hand to bring both of her arms around Miku's body. She pulled her in, having Miku sit on her lap to straddle her. Her hand went to the younger woman's cheek, resting her forehead against Miku's. "Nothing ever felt more right…."

Every time Luka took control, Miku felt herself completely surrender to her. She felt her eyelids grow heavy again, her body warm, fuzzy, lumbering and her breathing deepened. "Then… nothing else matters…." She managed, intoxicated by Luka's simple presence. "I know there's no going back…" Miku breathed heavily, their lips brushing as she softly spoke. "I'm fine with it. I'm so in love with you, I don't care what everyone else will say or think."  
She felt Luka nod very faintly and the older woman pressed her lips gently against hers. Miku suddenly felt like she had lost all means of functioning; she was rendered completely incapacitated. Something felt radically different about the way Luka kissed her. Miku had a hard time figuring out how such a chaste kiss could knock her out more than any passionate one they had shared. How this one simple kiss had her melt like it was the first time all over again.  
When Luka pulled back to look into her eyes, everything became clear. She read tenderness, warmth and affection like she had never read in anyone's eyes. Miku understood that as the other woman had finally abandoned herself to love, it made this the first time Luka kissed her guiltlessly. It was the first time Luka demonstrated the full extent of her unrestrained feelings. It was the first time Luka let herself enjoy it completely and didn't let culpability pull her away from the pleasure.  
Feeling every barrier lifted, understanding she finally had what she had fervently wished for made Miku's eyes water. Her throat was tied and her hands trembled as she ran her fingers through the pink hair. "Can you say it again…?" Miku mouthed with great difficulty, emotion suffocating her.

Luka pulled closer again, brushing her lips against Miku's once more. "I love you." She quietly said. "I always have, ever since we met. Even before, if it's possible." She added. It felt so good to say it, to be free from all the shackles and restraints she had imposed upon herself. Her hands flowed down her back as she stoked it gently.

Miku pulled closer, clinging to her as if she would disappear, as if she was scared this was yet another dream. "…Say it again…" She requested, her voice cracking up.

She gently kissed the side of her head and pushed the teal hair away from her ear to whisper, "I'm in love with you. You are most precious to me, above everyone, above everything."

Miku immediately met her lips with need, yearning for her like never before. The small something that had slowly been burning stronger and stronger with each passing day since she had met Luka seemed to be consuming her body whole now. With the other woman kissing her again without any shame or restrains, it only fuelled her desire to burn brighter. Miku's hands on Luka's waist grabbed at the nightgown, pulling it up to caress the skin on her lower back. She felt her shiver and Luka pulled back from the kiss. It was the first time in a very long time Miku couldn't read her expression. She looked down, embarrassed. "….Luka" Her voice was meek. "I want to pick up where we left off. Please don't deny yourself to me…"  
As an answer, Luka pulled her nightgown above her head and threw it to the floor, exposing her whole body save for what the tiny black panties hid. Miku's eyes widened; a hot feeling hit her in her lower stomach, wetting her underwear, and her sense of touch seemed heightened, tingling suddenly.

"I'm done holding back. I'm sorry to have made you wait." Luka's voice was still very quiet, and she waited for Miku to take her in.

The young woman's shivering breathes had picked up speed and her heart hammered in her chest. Her eyes ran over every inch of newly exposed skin, her limbs felt weak and her mouth watered slightly. She wondered how she would be able to touch her, make love to her, if only looking at her debilitated her this much.  
After another moment, Luka slowly lay on her back, pulling the young woman on top of her. She raised her hand to her cheek, caressing it, inviting her in for another kiss. Miku complied immediately, she could never have enough. Kneeling on all fours on top of her, both of her hands were in the pink hair as they kissed. Miku then lowered herself to lie completely on top of Luka and hugged her tightly, kissing her again before she pulled back and started trailing kisses south. Her lips brushed against her skin as she followed down her torso, going over her breast. She brought her hand up to feel it once again; she had missed the warm softness so much, even if she only had one chance to explore. She felt Luka press into her touch, and Miku kneaded it a short moment before she removed her hand, instantly replacing it with her mouth. Miku opened up to take the nipple in her mouth, teasing it with her tongue and lightly sucking. Hearing Luka gasp and feeling her body twitch under her only encouraged her. She tightened her embrace, pressing her face against her breast as she licked and sucked eagerly. Luka held her head against her, running her fingers in the teal hair. Miku only moved away to latch onto her other breast, pulling one hand from under her to fondle the flesh her mouth had just left. She felt Luka's breathing pick up again and suddenly wished she had been naked to feel her skin against her body as it heated up again.

Luka seemed to be feeling the same, as her hands now pulled at the shirt she had lent Miku the previous evening. "Take it off…I want to feel you too…" She breathed.

Miku reluctantly detached herself from the other woman and shakily stood on her knees. She pulled the shirt above her head, throwing it to the ground. She had kept both her underwear and bra under her lent nightwear because she hadn't expected to be sleeping in them. She pulled down the shorts and slowly got them off. She felt Luka seize her mostly naked figure and she suddenly felt very self-conscious. Her fingers shaking with nervousness made unclipping her bra tedious, but she managed and also threw it to the ground. She only kept on her simple white panties, as Luka also had her black lace ones on.  
Miku had told herself she would never have any complexes again, but as Luka's eyes scrutinized her body, she couldn't help being worried. She knew pertinently what type the other woman found attractive. She knew pertinently she fit that type to a T. But Miku had always been insecure about her small shape, and at that moment she felt scrawny and bony, not very attractive or very womanly…especially compared to Luka. "…w-what do you think…?" She nervously whispered, hoping dearly she wasn't disappointing the other woman.

Luka stayed still a moment, taking her in. Miku's very slim, delicate body looked so graceful. Her small breasts were perky, and her developed hips stood out slightly with her flat stomach. Her thighs were fleshy and curvy enough to be womanly, but still small enough to tally wonderfully with her delicate shape. "You're perfect." She whispered, pulling her hand for Miku to lie back next to her. As she did so, Luka instantaneously had her arms wrapped around her, squeezing her against her own body.  
Miku gasped. She immediately returned her embrace; the warmth of the direct skin contact had her completely overwhelmed. She felt completely enveloped in her presence, which caused Miku to stay very still. Feeling their bare skin together, their warmth merging, their bodies fitting perfectly together, Miku was faced again with the realization that Luka truly offered herself to her. She slowly closed her eyes, grasping her. Miku felt absolutely complete. She knew Luka felt the same, as it took a few long minutes for either of them to move again. The taller woman's hands started moving on her back again; she caressed her skin very tenderly, and she slowly pushed Miku onto her back, climbing on top.  
Luka slowly kissed down her neck and Miku's tranquility was instantly out the door. Her heart was pounding again as she felt soft lips on her chest. A small voice at the back of her mind nagged at her, making her doubt if it was any use to do this when her breasts weren't that developed, also making her ponder if Luka really could appreciate this when there was nothing much to grope. She felt warm humidity and gentle pulling as the other woman started to gently suck on her; Miku inhaled sharply and her fingers dug in Luka's skin. She whimpered; the sensations were completely new to her. Last time, Luka had stopped where her bra began. Luka continued sucking and her tongue worked wonders. Miku hadn't known touching her chest could feel so good, and she instantly understood that size wasn't linked to sensitivity. She started squirming, moaning and arching her back, pulling Luka closer, caressing her hair, her back, touching every part of her she could reach. Stretching her hands to her ass, she felt the lace fabric and didn't hesitate to slip her fingers underneath to caress the skin.  
Luka looked up at her, pausing what she was doing. Miku took the initiative to pull the panties down under her cheeks, slowly. Luka smiled and helped her completely take the small black garment off; she threw it to the ground. She was still laying on her, about to resume what she was doing, but Miku stopped her. "…Can you…let me see?" She whispered. "I…need to see you whole…"

Luka held her breath, immediately fearful. The idea that Miku had gotten scared, told her she needed to see her… and would back down when she fully realized she wasn't 'equipped' the way Miku had always expected her lover to be crossed her mind. She was scared that seeing her completely naked would shake Miku and make her realize she really hadn't been aware enough. Heterosexual couples did glorify the act of penetration after all. Without it, to them a sexual relation wasn't complete. Luka was scared Miku would feel deprived and unsatisfied with the way she could make love to her. She nevertheless stood on her knees in the same fashion Miku had a few moments ago, allowing her to seize her naked body.

She observed the older woman's body again. Luka really was a rare beauty, Miku had never hoped for such a gorgeous lover. Her eyes went down to the neatly trimmed, small patch of pink hair on her crotch. She felt nervous, wondering if she was dreaming again or if Luka would really allow her to touch her most private place. She looked back up at her and saw Luka looked slightly concerned. Her eyes trailed back down to rest between her legs. Seeing her made Miku ponder if she really would be capable of pleasing another woman properly. She didn't want to just lie there and let Luka rub against her again until she was done; she really wanted to be a competent lover, worthy of such an amazing woman. Miku let her fingers brush down the smooth skin of Luka's stomach. She was so tense she gulped as she lowered her hand, feeling Luka's eyes on her.

Luka was startled that Miku reached out to trail her hand down, but it didn't come as a surprise that she couldn't actually touch her. No matter what Miku said and how much she did love her, she knew this was very different from what the young woman had prepared herself for ever since she was mature enough to understand physical relations. Luka didn't mind if it took time for Miku to be able to touch her. "I know it's a big step…and…it's fine if you don't feel you can do it." She quietly commented. "You don't have to force yourself."

She shook her head and glanced back up at Luka. "I'm not forcing myself. I'm just…I'm nervous." Miku honestly stated, looking into her eyes. "I want to be able to make you feel good, and I…don't know if I'll be able to." She explained, sharing her concern.

The pink haired woman was surprised. First by hearing her say her hesitation was only about performance and not a gender problem. Second by the fact that she would be worried about this at all… because said performance had clearly been perfect so far. "…you were doing incredibly well a little earlier…" She offered.

Miku blinked. "I just wanted to touch you…"

Luka wondered what sort of idea Miku had of making love if it didn't come down to this simple thing. "…it was very pleasurable and plenty effective." She still confirmed for her.

She scrunched her nose cutely. "So…I just do what I feel like doing and it seems to work?" It seemed much too easy.

"That's exactly it." She confirmed again. "…Making love is a natural thing, Miku…don't think too much." She reached to pull her in her arms and the younger woman complied immediately, leaning into her. Luka felt only an arm around her and realized Miku had kept her other hand where it had stopped. Miku slowly kissed the skin available to her where her head was against Luka's body, on her stomach, just a little below her breasts and Luka knew the teal haired young woman had decided to take her advice and just do.  
Miku slid her fingers lower, running them on the hot and moist pink flesh in a gentle back and forth movement. Luka twitched; her strength was leaving her with each light caress she felt. Feeling her weaken, her body getting heavier in her arms, the younger woman invited Luka to lie back down with her and Luka immediately complied. Miku stuck herself to her instantly, keeping up her light stroking, pleased that she felt the other woman react. They both leaned in to kiss, quickly building the heat back up. Miku pulled back to breathe and looked into her eyes. They gleamed with sensuality, but they weren't wild enough to Miku's liking. The thrust of her hips wasn't ardent enough either. Miku wanted her to lose her mind the way she had when she climbed on top of her earlier. In a slightly rough movement, Miku pushed two fingers in without warning and Luka's peaceful expression changed abruptly. She opened her mouth and closed her eyes, her expression was blissful but she repressed any sound, knowing she might have been very loud otherwise.

Miku noticed this. "…don't hold back…I think you have the most beautiful voice in the world, I want to hear it…" She cooed, kissing her neck, sucking lightly on the skin. She felt Luka nod and smiled. Miku started moving her fingers slowly and felt her move with her again. Luka allowed herself to moan very softly.  
Inside her felt pretty much exactly like it felt like when Miku touched herself…so she was startled that warm, sticky feeling on her fingers as they slid in was acting as a turn on to her. Since she had experience with herself, she had expected she wouldn't mind the feeling…but she was extremely surprised she was enjoying it this much when, on top of it, she never even expected she would lust for another woman. Miku understood it was simply because it was Luka. This stickiness meant Luka was feeling good, and Miku was relishing in that knowledge. It was a chain reaction. Miku guessed it was also why she loved feeling her hips rock against her hand. She pushed deeper and faster, hungry for more, and Luka's breath was starting to get ragged. She gripped onto her as if she were holding on for dear life. Miku could feel the pink locks of hair tickle her face. Their scent, Luka's incredibly warm body in her arms, her voice as she now gasped; nothing else seemed to exist but her. Miku smiled to herself; this is where they had left off, and this is what she wanted to feel from Luka.  
As the heat continued to escalate, sweat pearled on the older woman's skin, and even the air around them seemed to have heated up. Miku moved her head lower, kissing down her chest to push her deeper into pleasure. She took one nipple in her mouth, sucking greedily, and massaged her other breast with her free hand.

Luka's heart raced, her breath was running out, her whole body was sticky with sweat and shaking like a leaf. Miku seemed so small in her arms, yet she was in complete control, driving her so close to her limit. None of her past lovers had managed to take her to this level, and as she rested her cheek on top of the head of teal hair, she told herself that loving her partner indeed changed everything about this act. "Miku..." She moaned, feverish with pleasure, rocking her hips faster and faster. "I …love you.. s-so much" She managed between gasps and moans.

"I love you too…" She whispered back against her breast, completely elated. Miku sneaked her arm from her chest to around her waist to hold her back. She felt Luka tighten around her fingers and watched as a spasm coursed through her body. Her irregular breaths seemed caught in her lungs, and her fingers dug into Miku's skin. Luka trembled for a few seconds and relaxed, exhaling in a low moan. She then lazily opened her eyes to look into hers, still short of breath. Miku slid her fingers out from inside her so she could wrap both her arms around her waist. She felt exhilarated, incredibly excited and very proud of herself. 

Luka incited her to move up and kissed her deeply, her body slowing to a normal rate. She pulled back to look into her eyes with such warmth and tenderness, Miku felt her heart flutter. "…It was so foolish to have tried to push you away…" Luka kissed her again. "I'm so sorry I made you suffer…" She entwined her fingers with hers, exhaling lightly.

"Then…make it up to me…" Miku whispered back, a very faint smile dancing on her lips as she leaned in to steal a kiss.

Luka's lips curled into a small grin. "I plan to." She brought Miku's hand to her mouth, kissing it lovingly. "Remember, you told me… that you dreamt about me…?"

Miku nodded, slightly surprised.

"And that… in these dreams, I had done to you… everything two women can do..?" Luka continued, her expression turning smug.

She nodded again, this time lowering her head in embarrassment, but her eyes staying locked with Luka's.

"…What do you want most of all?" She released her hand to caress her hair, trailing her fingers along her jaw. "Anything." Luka added in a whisper.

Miku's expression turned eager and her heart suddenly pounded in her chest. "….anything? Can… c-can I really ask you _anything_?" She watched the other woman with wide eyes, looking quite excited.

Luka thought it was very cute. "Of course, darling…" She answered, her fingers tracing down her neck amorously.

The young woman swallowed audibly, both expectant and uneasy. "…t-then…then I…. can you… …I'd really… I'm curious so… I'd really like it if you would… … …" She trailed off as she looked away, unable to finish.

Luka raised her head off the pillow and looked at her curiously. Miku's cheeks were rapidly growing a dark shade of red, it made Luka expect something rather debauched. Nevertheless, she actually would do anything to please her. "Don't be shy, I really will do _anything_ you want." She said very soothingly.

She nodded in a slow movement and met her eyes reluctantly. She took a very deep breath. "Okay. Well. If you don't mind, if you do it's fine, I don't _need_ you to but…but if you really don't mind…if you don't think it's disgusting...could you…put your mouth…_there_?" She pointed down with her index.

Her face stayed blank a second, as she understood what Miku wanted, and then Luka laughed quietly to herself; it was adorable how Miku had been embarrassed for something so simple. Without answering her, she got on top and started to kiss down her body. Luka had fantasized about this so many times she wasn't feeling like she was doing Miku a favor. Oddly, it was in fact quite the opposite.  
Miku awkwardly parted her legs to make room for her as Luka slid down, then raised her hips to let her remove her panties. As the other woman threw the garment to the ground and settled back between her legs, she felt very self-conscious again. She found it embarrassing to lay her legs spread the way they were, and almost humiliating to have Luka scrutinize this part of herself, especially since she had been so turned on. She knew she was soaked, and Miku suddenly wondered what possessed her to ask Luka to do something so _dirty_. She was about to back down and tell her not to, she saw Luka lick her lips between the kisses she trailed down her stomach, nearing her crotch. She noticed she seemed very willing, eager even, as she very slowly got further down. So Miku stayed silent, telling herself she might not be asking for something too lewd after all.  
Miku's thighs were now resting on her shoulders, and Luka could feel the young woman's body tremble in anticipation. She gave a wet kiss on the burning hot, moist pink skin. Miku's whole body buckled as she whimpered. Luka reached for her hand, giving her something to hold on to, and Miku entwined her fingers with hers. She then gave a very long lick, parting her with her tongue and Miku squeezed her hand much tighter, trying to keep her body still. Luka smiled to herself, loving her intense reactions, and decided to properly get to work. She licked and sucked alternately, exploring everywhere before she let her tongue trace around her clit. She opened her mouth wide, took as much flesh as she could in her mouth, sucking and rubbing her tongue against it. Miku was shaken by a tremendous spasm, and let out a very loud, surprisingly low moan. Luka had never heard her voice sound so adult; she was used to a very cute high pitch. It turned her on and made her double up her efforts.  
Miku wasn't able to prevent the slow and primal thrust of her hips that met and followed each suction she felt, even if she knew moving around like she was might complicate things for Luka. She hesitantly brought a hand to her head, feeling the need to hold it against herself, but at the same time not wanting to push Luka's face into her and make it uncomfortable. She felt her stop sucking and instead lowered her tongue, pushing it inside her. Miku thought she would lose her mind. She was quickly running out of breath, her limbs were starting to go numb, her whole body was drenched in sweat and she couldn't stop her back from arching. Luka was playing with her, twirling her tongue, and Miku was doing everything she could to hold her own. She didn't want to climax so fast, she wanted the pleasure to go on forever. The pink haired woman pulled back a second to raise her head back up, sucking on her as she did earlier. She placed a finger where her tongue was only moments before and slowly began going in and out.  
Miku could take no more and she felt all her muscles starting to grow stiff. "I love you I love you I love you" She chanted repeatedly like a mantra, clutching her head, pushing with her hips against her mouth. She tensed considerably, shaking and holding her breath for a second. Then she went limp. Luka smiled.

The pink haired woman climbed back up and pushed away the locks of teal hair sticking to her face from the sweat. Miku's whole body was flushed; she thought it was awfully cute. Luka observed the expression of bliss on Miku's face and thought to herself that she couldn't ask for more. "Would you allow me to kiss you?" She whispered, still playing in her hair.

"…why do you have to ask?" Miku mumbled, between heavy expirations, painfully opening her eyes.

"Miku...I just…" Luka smiled. "I loved going down on you, but I don't know how you feel about a kiss after that."

"….oh…" Miku thought it through a short moment. "…I don't care." She dragged her closer and kissed her without a hint of shame. Her breathing was gradually slowing back to normal.

Luka returned the kiss, never having enough. She loved the feeling of her body against hers, whether she be soft as she usually was, or sticky with sweat as she was now. Luka caressed the teal hair and pulled back only to kiss her neck softly, feeling her lover's body begin to slow down under her. Her own body was back to the start though. Miku's responses to her ministrations had excited her and she couldn't stop touching her, she couldn't help continuing her caresses. Her fingers traveled on her skin, making her nails scrape very lightly, tickling her from time to time. She needed her, she craved to be touched again, but she didn't dare ask for more. She knew the last weeks had been rough on Miku and she really was afraid of exhausting her.

The teal haired young woman lazily wrapped her arms around her waist, hugging weakly. "wow…" She breathed, still in awe of the intense orgasm she had, still trying to get back to earth. "…wow. Can I get that often?" She slurred, a beatific smile on her lips.

"Every day, if you want to." Luka chuckled, nibbling at her neck.

"…can we really have sleepovers every day?" Miku closed her eyes again, letting her do as she pleased.

"…as much as I would love to fall asleep next to you every night, I don't believe we'll be able to just yet. But…I still can give you this every day, even if we can't be sleeping over…" Luka grinned. "I just need us to be alone for about twenty minutes."

Miku's eyes snapped open, blushing at the idea. "You mean…" She raised her head to look down at her, Luka was now kissing her chest again. "You mean, during day time, somewhere else…?"

The older woman met her eyes, her lips still brushing against her skin were curled into a very suggestive smirk. "At work if you want me to, for example." Her eyes were gleaming with lust, she knew, but still she held her lover's stare.

Miku read this look instantly and she knew the pink haired woman was very serious. She decided she would take her up on this suggestion at some point. Her hands traveled up her back and she played in her hair. "Luka…?"

She was sucking on her skin, making love bites on her chest. "mm?"

There was a pause before she decided to ask. "Can I try it on you?"

"Try what, darling?" She questioned before picking another spot to suck on.

"…what you just did to me." Miku clutched her closer, Luka having found a very sensitive spot on her neck.

She sucked until she made sure she left a mark. "Sure." She moved her own hair away from her neck as she offered it to Miku.

Miku didn't move, staying silent a second. She trailed her fingers on her neck. "That's not what…I meant. I mean, I'd do that too, but I…I… what I meant was…" She sighed, hating how hard she found it to express herself. "What you did just before that. I want t-to…try that."

Luka's eyes widened slightly and she met her gaze. She had never dared imagine Miku _ever_ wanting to give her oral. No matter how much she loved her, Luka had thought it would be repulsive for a fundamentally straight girl. "Are you sure you want to…?" She gawked at her, incredulous. Miku just stared back, completely motionless. She didn't look too sure why Luka needed to confirm this. "I mean…you're not…" The pink haired woman started, about to explain her hesitation, but the stern look Miku now gave her reminded her of what the young woman had declared. Miku had said it was her nature to love _her_. Luka stayed quiet again another moment, her eyes still on Miku's. "…If you really want to, when you feel ready…then I would love for you to."

Miku smiled widely. She instantly extracted herself from under her and pushed Luka on her back, starting to make her way down.

"Wait, _now_?" She was a little staggered.

"Yes, now." Miku pouted. "You had that look in your eyes. I know you've been wanting more." She added, letting her lover know she had seen that lustful look as she made the love bites.

Luka blushed slightly. "But…" She shook her head as if to clear her mind. "But...aren't you tired…?"

The young woman frowned. "No. You are?"

She blinked, confused. "No, but..."

Miku's frown deepened. "But?"

Luka sighed softly. "…you fainted today, Miku…remember?" She ran her fingers in the teal bangs. "I don't want you to strain yourself."

She smiled, understanding her concern. "I'm fine, don't worry." With this, she kissed down her stomach in the same fashion Luka had done her. "I told you your arms and your lips would heal me… so I'm definitely in good shape right now." She kissed under her bellybutton, and stopped as she approached her goal. She rested her forehead against her stomach and closed her eyes. She had had dreams of Luka doing it to her, but she had never pictured herself doing this. Only a few moments earlier, as Luka had kissed her and allowed Miku to taste herself, did she realize she might be able and willing to do it. Moreover, the more she thought about it, the more she understood she _wanted_ to know Luka's taste. After all, that was what she had searched to do when she kissed the fingers Luka had touched herself with in her sleep. Furthermore, she was curious about the stickiness she felt as she pumped her fingers into her, which somehow had turned her on so much more.  
She got down further and with both her thumbs, she spread her to look at the pink flesh in detail. She heard Luka hold her breath. She rubbed one of her thumbs on her. It was slippery and hot. Then Miku closed in to give a first lick and felt Luka's hand go to her head, caressing her teal hair. The taste was peculiar, but she decided she liked it. She gave another lick and Luka twitched. Miku decided to try and imitate what Luka had done on her, and explored, licking and sucking lightly before going to the small bulge she felt.  
"…Oh, yes…" Luka moaned deeply, as Miku started playing with her clit.  
Hearing her, Miku's lust increased tenfold. When the other woman's voice was tainted with longing, and when she made those types of sounds, it drove her crazy with desire. She would always want to hear more, and she would always feel her own sex heat considerably. Miku sucked eagerly, rubbing her tongue, and when she felt Luka's reactions grow even more, she got down slightly and pushed her tongue in as far as she could, feeling heat and wetness smother all around her mouth as she did so. It smelled musky yet sweet and hot. Both of Miku's arms went around her thighs, holding her as she curled her tongue, exploring inside her as much as she could. Miku became excited when she felt Luka gradually part her legs wider as she lost herself in the sensations. She loved that she felt Luka's body tremble with pleasure. Most of all, she adored Luka's hands in her hair, needily tugging closer yet still lovingly caressing her teal locks. Miku pulled away just enough to lick her lips, and dug back in, Luka moaned and bucked her hips. She noticed the other woman's breathing was ragged again, and her burning skin was dripping with sweat. Not long after, she tensed and quivered uncontrollably. Miku noticed the taste had instantly gotten sweeter and Luka moaned Miku's name loudly before her body collapsed. The pink haired woman was motionless save for her heavy breathing, and Miku decided to climb back on top of her. She lay on her damp body and looked into her dazed eyes. Luka smiled tiredly, clearly satisfied.

"You're unbelievable…" She whispered breathlessly, one arm going around her waist and the other cupping Miku's cheek gently. Luka pressed her lips against hers tenderly, and Miku opened her mouth to deepen the kiss. When she pulled back, she smiled at her again. "…I thought you'd be more reluctant to do something like that…but you went all out."

Miku kissed her again. "It wasn't hard…I…could have went on…I was enjoying it." She sheepishly grinned as she confessed this. She herself was surprised; she never thought she would enjoy or even want to go down on anyone. The idea had always felt so obscene, so filthy…she was so ashamed when she started fantasizing about Luka doing it to her. But as Luka willingly did it a moment ago, and seemed to enjoy doing it…and it felt _so_ good and natural…it completely made her change her mind about the foulness of it. And when she tried it, she had no idea why she made such a big deal out of it. "I'm surprised I enjoyed it as much I did, b-but I really did enjoy it."

Luka raised her eyebrows. "…I have to say, I'm also surprised. You were quite reluctant to ask for it and I…noticed how uncomfortable you were until I started. And then…well, because I'm a woman, I really didn't think you'd…" She said the last part more quietly.

"But it's you." Miku countered. "I…I really can't picture myself doing it to anyone else, women or men, it feels gross. But I…I really love knowing you're feeling good...and I think I do love everything about you, no exception." She explained without reserve.

Cupid's arrow pierced her heart again right on the spot, and Luka hugged her tightly. "You really are too sweet and too adorable." She whispered. "I don't deserve you." She added, both of her hands in the teal hair.

"Stop it…" Miku returned the embrace with the same need. "I don't _ever_ want to hear you say that again." She also was whispering, but the tone of her voice was firm. She then kissed her very tenderly, against all the ardent desires burning inside her, trying to express all the affection she held for her.

Luka's embrace loosened and she relaxed as she kissed her back. She felt Miku caress her still moist skin. It rapidly dried as she cooled down. She also ran her fingers across her, and noticed Miku's skin was feverishly hot. Luka smiled in the kiss and pulled back slightly. "…doing that to me… did it…excite you?" She quietly asked, her eyes still closed, her lips still brushing against hers.

"…A lot." Miku smiled guiltily and moved her face to her neck, burying it in her hair. "I'm…I need it again. I…really understand…after doing it to me…how you felt." The pink locks of hair smelled of Luka's incredibly sweet and warm scent, and Miku could hear her breath in her ear. Her body heated even more and she felt dizzy. "I need you. Please…?" She muttered.

Luka carefully turned the both of them around to lie on top. "It would be my pleasure." She breathed in her ear.

"T-this time…could you… ….use your fingers…?" Miku requested before Luka moved again. "I…absolutely loved w-what you did, but I…this time, I really w-wish to hold you and, and kiss you…w-when I… … … …w-when…" She explained awkwardly, unable to finish her sentence.

"When you cum?" Luka suggested, pushing two fingers inside her.

She shut her eyes and clutched her instantly. "Uun!" Miku acquiesced uneasily, resting her forehead against Luka's neck. She felt her fingers start to move slowly, and she became aware of Luka's body all over again. Her generous curves, her soft chest squeezed on hers, her silky pink hair falling over them creating a comfortable veil around the both of them. Luka's skin was so soft again, the sweat having completely dried. Miku found it odd she couldn't smell sweat on Luka even with her face pressed against her neck and chest the way it was, but it pleased her quite a lot. Luka still smelled incredibly good.  
The young woman moved her hips steadily, matching the pace of her hand. She was reminded of the very first time she had truly fantasized about Luka. In that fantasy, this was what she was doing to her; lying on top, completely overwhelming her. Her warm embrace, her breathing in her ear, her weight pushing her down, her lips searing kisses on her skin, her fingers deep inside her…it was too quickly pushing her close to the edge. This is how she fantasized it would feel to be with her. In fact, it was even better than what she thought, since Luka clearly knew what she was doing. Her fingers were pumping and twisting, and she reached to what Miku now guessed had to be her G-spot. It resounded throughout her entire body each time Luka hit that spot, and she held her tighter every time, panting and moaning. When Miku would touch herself, she did so a bit clumsily and very quickly, much more out of need for relief than in real pleasure. She had no idea it could be so good.  
"Luka…" She gasped, her lungs seemingly paralyzed by the sensations. "…S-say it…again…" She requested with great difficulty, her hips almost thrashing against her fingers.

She closed in, approaching her lips. "I love you." She whispered hotly, pushing harder.

Miku crashed her lips against hers and held her very tight as her body shook violently. Her toes curled and her fingers dug into Luka's back, her heart beat so hard she could hear it. After a few seconds, her body gave in, exhausted. Their lips were still locked, but as her body's rhythm slowed, Miku kissed her more tenderly. It was a few minutes of gentle kisses before Luka pulled back to gaze at her, a fond smile playing on her lips. She bent to kiss her neck lovingly and Miku exhaled, feeling her throat tighten up with emotion. "…I'm happy." She said, a little out of the blue. She felt Luka stop her treatment to rise back up to meet her eyes. The older woman's turquoise orbs were so warm and loving, Miku's heart fluttered again. She really couldn't believe her wishes had been granted. She tightened her hold on Luka again.

"I'm glad. I really am too." Luka smiled, her hand cupping her cheek. She observed her in silence for a short moment. "Thank you…for having fought so hard for us…" She added. "…for having fought me so hard for us." She then specified, her voice very quiet. Miku nodded and she rested her forehead against hers. "…I swear from now on, I will never let you fight alone." Luka finished, giving her a lingering, very soft kiss.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Luka's breathing had slowed enough for Miku to believe she was asleep; her chest's rhythm against her back was lengthy yet faint. The other woman's long, thin arm around her waist wasn't clutching her anymore, and Miku sat up very slowly. The room was still very dark, but looking out the window, Miku could see the sun's faint light in the low horizon. Dawn was coming, meaning their moment of peace was coming to an end. Now that she wasn't soaking in Luka's overwhelming love, now that she had time to take everything in, now that she had time to truly reflect on what the future might look like…she felt her stomach stir with anxiety. She knew things would start to get rough again as soon as she'd step out of her lover's apartment.  
Miku turned slightly to take a look at Luka's sleeping form. The teal haired young woman was in awe at how someone could be so naturally beautiful even in such a dishevelled state. She ran her fingers on her naked, still very hot skin; Miku's throat tightened. She didn't want the day to come. She didn't want this moment to end. She didn't want to leave her bed. She didn't want to be anywhere else but in her arms. Above all, she didn't want to walk out in the world's daylight and have to pretend she didn't care as much as she did for the woman sleeping by her side.  
She knew they would have to pretend that they were still playing the game their manager had asked of them, and she had no idea where she would find the strength to pull away from Luka enough for their relationship to look 'normal'. She thought it was unfair, because she knew in a man-woman relationship they would have been able to live it freely. But that's not how it worked for same-sex couples. She understood that she and Luka would have to fight to be together, there would be complications for the simplest things, some people would be pointing their fingers at them, she would lose friends… and telling her parents scared her so much she wanted to cry. She also knew that even if their 'pretending' had gone over well with most of her own fans, it was considered some sexy _fanservice_; coming out seriously wouldn't be as fine. She felt a wave of cold wash her over.  
But even then…even with all things considered, Miku knew with every fiber of her being that she was in her right place. No matter what others could think or what prejudice there was, this was how things were supposed to be. Luka was her perfect match, no matter what others said about it. Miku absolutely hated that Luka and her would have to fight such a war just to be able to love each other. Wasn't love supposed to be a beautiful, freeing thing? So why would they be judged? So why should they be judged? Their relationship was much more loving than a lot of straight couples! Why were abusive relationships deemed more normal than theirs? Why were young gold diggers marrying old men deemed more normal than them? Why were things so backwards and illogical?  
Before she knew it, she was shivering. Big tears rolled down her cheeks, and her stomach was full of lead. She started bending over slightly to hold herself, and in a moment, she felt Luka's arms pull her to her. She hadn't heard her wake, but she welcomed her warmth. She needed it like never before, and she immediately held onto her.  
"Why?" Miku sobbed. "I-I d-don't understand…! W-why i-is it supposed t-to be wrong…?" She hiccupped, shaking uncontrollably. "It f-felt so…so right!" Her lips desperately explored her skin again, searching to confirm it for herself. "…It…feels so r-right…" She whispered.

Luka soothingly stroked her hair. "It does…" She agreed, her voice calm and soothing.

Miku rubbed her face against her neck, wetting her skin with her tears. "…W-why does it matter… that we're both women..? We're human, w-we both feel love…and w-we were able t-to make love! Why c-couldn't we be lovers…?" She angrily asked, knowing there was no valid answer to her question.

Luka stayed silent, hugging closer as she combed her hair lovingly.

"It's not fair!" Miku sobbed again.

"I know…" She quietly answered.

"I love you so, so much…" Miku cried harder, tightening her grip even more.

Luka kissed the top of her head softly. "I do too." She whispered. "Everything will be fine, don't worry…." She added. Luka's voice was very soft, very even, very comforting.

It compelled Miku to pull herself up and kiss her, needing to forget everything but her. She heatedly kissed her and brought both hands to cup her cheeks. What she discovered made her slow considerably. Luka's cheeks were wet and Miku realized she was also crying.

**- Continued in ch.11**


	11. Chapter 11

**Overwhelming reviews are overwhelming ;_; I love you, everyone.**

I don't really know how much of is too much info, but I've been asked through reviews/private messages if I was writing from experience.  
Yes and no? I mean, I wish lived such a romantic tale, which is why I dreamt up this! XD  
But for the realism part…they're a mash-up of things that happened to me/people I know. I've had experience with people accepting completely, with difficulty, or not accepting at all my preferences. I've had lovers caring too much about what others thought or being so scared of the 'gay' label they never let anything more blossom between us. I've heard (thankfully not lived) horror stories about coming out. So I tried to arrange everything so that it still fits with the characters and culminates with how I want the story to unfold and _**'Magnet'**_** to come to life.  
(And for the last chapter…I know when you sleep with someone, it doesn't go magically and smoothly, you discuss things as you move along, and you bear/confront fears and insecurities. Especially if you're with someone you love. Anyways, that's how it happens with me!)  
Hope this answers those who questioned me and those of you who wondered but didn't ask. :3**

**I think you can expect 8 to 10 days between each following chapter as I'm wrapping this up, I'm pretty much done planning what's left to tell with fic. :3**

Ah!, also, I made an effort to correct the general layout of things, as I've read I might be making too much wall of texts XD;

-

"…Lily…" Miki poked her cheek repeatedly and the blond swatted her sleepily. "….ne…" The redhead tried again, edging closer. As she got absolutely no reaction, she climbed on top of her. "Ne, Lily!" She called, an inch away from her face.

Lily opened her eyes.  
Her mind had yet to come around. She didn't understand why she would be woken up by Miki and she didn't recognize her surroundings. "…wha…" She shook her head in a small but brisk movement.

"…wake up, I'm hungry." Miki pouted childishly.

The older woman stared at her for another second before the events came flooding back. She suddenly wondered if she made the right decision in spending the night with the girl…scratch that, the young woman lying on top of her. She might have just completely destroyed every chance at a normal relationship with Miki. She was too conscious that any of her immediate or future actions, and any of her immediate or future words might hurt her enough to lose her even as a friend. Then, she thought of Meiko. Lily closed her eyes again, trying to zen her mind.

The redhead pulled on her cheeks, stretching her face into a weird shape. "Are you awake?"

She took her hands in hers as she made her release her cheeks and opened her eyes once more. Lily decided not to berate herself too much. What was done was done, and for now, Miki seemed fine. "Yeah, I'm awake." She yawned.

Miki beamed, sitting up on her stomach in a fast move. "Good, I have to get ready for school soon and I'm starving!" She declared as she started to get out of bed. Lily caught her hand before she could stand and she looked back at her quizzically. The question mark shaped lock protruding out of her red hair fit perfectly with her expression. "What?"

Lily's eyes ran along her slim body again. Very swiftly, her brain entirely turned away from the guilt. "I'm also hungry." Lily grinned as she pulled her back into her arms.

Miki giggled, letting the other woman turn her on her back. "Then let's get something to eat, silly!" She didn't seem to realize she was trapped under her body in a very intimate position.

"I already have something to eat, love." Lily purred, running one hand on Miki's lower stomach.

"…" As understanding dawned on her, Miki bit her lower lip, grinning in an uncharacteristically dirty manner.

"That's what I like to see." The blond chuckled, starting to trail kisses from her neck as she lowered herself down her body.

She watched her slowly kiss her way to her stomach, continuing down, locks of blond hair tickling her along the way. "I'll be late for school…" The redhead protested weakly, parting her legs.

Lily laughed louder. "Do you really care, right now?" She bit the inside of her thigh playfully.

Miki twitched. "Ah~!" Her eyes met the other woman's, who was waiting for an answer, sucking on her skin. "No…I really don't care…go on…" She whispered, reaching to caress her hair. 

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Miku opened her eyes and met teal orbs.

"Good morning." Luka whispered, smiling faintly. The room was very clear and her features seemed to glow with the way the light kissed her skin. Her head was slightly buried in the fluffy pillow, hiding part of her face and with the playful gleam in her eyes, it made her look both coy and mischievous. Miku thought that paired with the carefree smile she offered her and the way her light pink hair was completely messed up, it made the most charming picture she had ever seen. She reached out for her with both hands, and Luka complied to her unspoken request, wrapping both arms around her and bringing their bodies together. Miku sighed contently and closed her eyes again.

Then, it slowly came back to her that after such a wonderful night, dawn had brought with it painful reality. She had cried herself to sleep into Luka's arms. Miku felt compelled to pull her into a tender kiss. She felt the other woman's arms tighten around her waist, and Miku realized that even though the pain had been overwhelming before she fell asleep, she was now at peace. She regretted absolutely nothing, and she felt ready to take on every trial they'd have to overcome. When she pulled back and opened her eyes, she met again with the beautiful teal she loved so much. "What time is it?" She very quietly asked.

Luka's smile grew. "…almost noon." She answered sweetly.

Miku pulled back an inch, her eyes a bit wide. "I had school today…"

The pink haired woman raised her eyebrows. "…Would you rather I had woken you and sent you off?"

She only considered a short second. "No. I'd much rather be here with you." Miku crawled on top of her, yearning to again feel Luka's very soft and oh-so-warm body closer. Her lips went to her neck and she breathed in deeply as she kissed her skin. Luka's intoxicating scent was starting to wake something else within her, making her skin warmer and her mind cloudy. She buried her face in the pink hair.

"Don't do that…" Luka chuckled as she unconvincingly tried to push her off. Miku entwined her fingers with hers, pushed her hands to each side of her, and held her down to the bed. Luka laughed a little louder. "Really, Miku, don't…it has to be unpleasant, I sweat a lot last night…"

"I know, but you still smell _so_ good…" Miku cooed, breathing against her neck.

She relaxed, both from being reassured and from enjoying her lover's attentions. "Do I?" Luka exhaled.

"mmm~ yeess…It's like I'm under a spell." Miku sucked on her skin to make a love bite on her neck. Luka moaned softly, arching her back to press her body into the younger woman's. Miku released her skin but continued kissing, going down to her chest. "I could do this all day." She whispered, gripping her hands tighter and pushing her deeper into the mattress.

It made Luka laugh again and she decided to offer some resistance. "I'll eventually have to wash myself, you know? Sooner rather than later." She said, half-heartedly fighting back. Miku gently biting at her breasts felt too good to actually get her off.

"Then…I want to bathe together with you." She purred, moving up to kiss her, and Luka responded to it in a leisurely but ardent manner. Miku slowly pulled back, keeping their lips brushing together.

She smiled fondly, her eyes still closed. "What a wonderful idea."

"Let's do that, then." The young woman shifted her weight to sit on her stomach before she released her hands. "But first…" Miku cupped her cheeks. "… …make love to me again."

Luka met her gaze, somewhat surprised. "...I wouldn't have expected you to be such… a physical person." She casually said, reaching out for her waist, feeling her hips.

"What does that mean?" Miku frowned slightly, her hands moving from her cheeks down her neck to rest on her shoulders.

Luka trailed her fingers on Miku's stomach. "It means…I'm surprised that you would want to do it again as soon as you woke up… I had no idea you had such a libido." She whispered, drawing with her index an invisible heart below her bellybutton.

Miku blinked. "I had no idea either. Is it a problem?"

"Far from it." She murmured, her lips curling into a suggestive smile. "I'm pleasantly surprised to find you desire me as much as I do you." Her hand moved back to her hip and slowly, she brought both hands down to her rear.

It made Miku raise herself slightly on her knees to allow the other woman to touch her as she wanted. "…and…how much do you desire me…?" She questioned in a whisper, her fingers moving slowly from her shoulders, caressing her skin as she went down between her breasts.

Luka slowly sat up, forcing Miku to shrink back and sit on her lap instead of her stomach. "…If we could, I would be making love to you all day and all night…" Her hands on her ass compelled her to stay very close to her.

"…So…" Miku readjusted herself, settling in a way neither of them would have to make any unnecessary effort. "…you've wanted me as soon as you woke up?" She quietly asked, wrapping both hands around her shoulders.

The pink haired woman closed in, kissing her neck in restrained hunger. "Yes…but I didn't want to disturb your sleep." She confirmed, brushing her lips against her skin.

Miku tightened her grip. "You waited…? You're so considerate…"

Luka stopped her kissing, the meaning behind what Miku said dawning on her. "You would have woken me up?" She pulled back an inch or two to look at her.

She blinked. "…Yeah. I think I would…" She very honestly answered. "Sorry."

"…" Luka chuckled softly. "…It's fine. You can wake me up for that, I don't mind."

The younger woman's expression turned slightly mischievous. "Be careful what you say." She playfully warned.

She laughed again, this time a little louder. "I really don't mind…" She stated as she pulled her closer again. She moved her hands on her rear and Miku stood on her knees once more to let her touch freely. As their position put her torso at Luka's level, her lips went to it. She inhaled deeply the scent of her skin and her hands ran slowly on her body, exploring. Luka took time to feel every part of her again, slowly massaging as she did so. "You are…absolutely perfect. I can't believe you're mine." She whispered, her lips following her collarbone, down to her breasts.

Miku moaned when she felt her mouth on the tip of her breast, holding her head carefully against her. "That's my line."

She was about to counter her, but decided against it. "…Let's not start a fight over this." Luka just answered before she resumed sucking gently on her.

Miku nodded. Her breath started getting heavier and she pressed her body closer. She felt Luka's chest squeeze against her stomach, and her soft pink hair tickled her skin every time the other woman moved her head. Luka's delicate hands massaged her in slow caresses, and her tongue rubbed as she sucked on her. The young woman found herself surprised as she realized she wasn't embarrassed in the least. She closed her eyes.  
"It already feels so natural…" She breathed in a whisper, resting her cheek on the top of her lover's head. "…being together with you like this…"

Luka released her breast and kept her lips against her skin, kissing slowly as she made her way to her other breast. "It does…" She quietly agreed before she started sucking again, her hands now kneading once more her ass and thighs.

Miku leaned forward slightly, letting her lover support her weight; she felt her legs starting to give in. It took but a few moments for Luka to gently lower them back in a lying position, Miku under her. She licked and sucked until Miku's skin became damp from her body's rising temperature. She then climbed up to meet her lips and smiled. "I'll make you experience something new." She whispered, rising back up in a sitting position.

"What?" Miku blinked, dazed from the caresses she had just received. Luka simply moved herself, lifting one of Miku's legs so she could settle between them. "..what are you doing…?" She observed curiously, letting her guide her into position. Her lover kneeled over her with their legs entwined. She then lowered herself into a comfortable position before she pressed herself against her and started rocking her hips, pushing her very hot center to hers. Miku's breath caught in her throat and she instinctively started moving against her. It felt somewhat as it had when Luka brought her mouth there, but instead of the suction and her tongue playing around, there was a nice pressure, and rubbing felt incredibly good as their wetness let the flesh slide without resistance.

Before she knew it, her damp skin became completely soaked; sweat pearled down her whole body. Both of them breathed heavily, gasping and moaning from time to time. Luka moved her hands to Miku's hips, forcing her even closer to grind harder. She bent over her and Miku pushed herself up into a half-sitting position with great effort, her arms weak from the pleasure. They kissed heatedly. Luka released her hip to bring a hand to her cheek. "…I'm almost th-there." Miku whispered between kisses and heavy breaths, her lips still against the other woman's.

"Hold on t-to me." Luka answered with as much difficulty, wrapping both arms around her and laying her back on the bed. Miku's legs were parted to their limit and she would have found this position to be awkward and humiliating at any other point, but right now she really couldn't find it in her to care. It allowed her to hold her lover as they brought themselves over the edge together. She clutched her desperately, thrusting her hips into her until her body froze, all her muscles rigid. Her eyes rolled back, she exhaled deeply, moaning, and then she relaxed completely. She could still feel Luka grind against her and as soon as she could move again, she started up once more, wanting her to climax too.  
Miku watched her blissful expression as she was utterly lost in pleasure. She hadn't been able to see it on the two other occasions she had…the first time she had her face pressed in her chest, and the second she had gone down on her which effectively blocked her vision. She found it was her most favorite expression of Luka's as of yet and it took everything in her to refrain from kissing her. She wanted to see if she'd love even more her expression as she fumbled over her limit.

Miku reached to caress Luka's cheek. The pink haired woman turned her head slightly to kiss her palm between hard breaths. "…I love you." Miku whispered as she traced her lips with her thumb. As if this was the push she needed to be driven over the edge, Luka suddenly stopped every movement, her body quivering. Her mouth was slightly agape and her eyes, half-opened, were gleaming. Her expression was euphoric, and Miku decided that this was now her favorite look. It was a few seconds before Luka collapsed on top of her. They slowly moved into a more comfortable position and Miku brought both arms around her waist. They stayed silent, running their fingers gently across their slowly drying skin until both their breathing was back to normal.

"Now, we can go bathe." Miku stated casually.

Luka laughed, turning to her. "You're incredible…" She kissed her cheek and Miku grinned. The young woman snuggled up to her, and Luka gently massaged her back as she held her closer. It took another moment for them to be able to move away from each other; Miku was the first to sit up. She tried to comb her teal hair with her fingers, but it really was too chaotic for her to be able to make it look normal. Luka chuckled again. "Come on…" The tall woman slipped out of bed and stretched.

Miku stopped moving. Luka's lean yet curvy body made for a perfect silhouette. Of course by now Miku knew her body, as she had seen, touched and experienced it, but to see her standing a few feet away was still something else. To see her whole body head to toe as she moved weightlessly highlighted her perfection. Moreover, Luka's smooth skin seemed to glow again as she stretched in the soft light the window let in, filtered by the see-through white curtains. Her messy bed hair was adorable and her bright teal eyes stood out more than ever. She smiled at Miku. The young woman thought she was falling in love all over again.

"Are you coming?" Luka spoke with a very soft and very light voice.

Miku nodded, still staggered, and clumsily got out of bed. Luka took her hand and led her to the bathroom.

After having washed themselves, Luka dutifully helping Miku wash her heavy load of hair and Miku making a few obsessive comments about being able to use Luka's shampoo and skincare products, they both settled in the bathtub. Miku sat between the other woman's legs, and leaned against her. She felt Luka's arms snake around her waist pulling her closer and revelled in the light breaths brushing against the back of her neck as she snuggled with her.

"…Luka…?" She closed her eyes, letting the other woman cuddle her.

"What is it, darling?" She sighed contently, a relaxed smile on her lips.

Miku opened her eyes to stare at the ceiling. She entwined her fingers with Luka's, staying silent a short moment. "…I…don't want to hide." She finally whispered.

Luka slowly loosened her grip on her as she straightened herself. "…" She stared at Miku's back, waiting for her to continue.

"I…I know right now we'll have to. I know I'll have to at least…t-tell my parents before we really make it public." The young woman murmured. "But I…just wanted to let you know. I hate that we'll have to be careful and hide…" She turned slightly to be able to look at her. "It'll hurt so much to pretend we…we're nothing." She felt her throat tighten slightly.

Seeing the sad look in the younger woman's eyes pulled at her heart, but she was done rebuking herself for getting involved with Miku. She knew Miku wasn't suffering because of her, but because of the circumstances. Moreover, they both were way better off together than apart. "…Can you tell your friends?" She quietly asked, observing her features as she tried to find some solace for her.

Miku clamped her lips tighter for a second as she thought it through. "Most of my closest friends will be fine, I think…others I don't know. I think I might lose…some." She sighed.

It was unfair, but it was to be expected. "…I'm sorry." Luka offered.

"Don't be." She turned around completely to be able to hold her too. "We're not wrong, they are." She locked her eyes to the other woman's turquoise orbs.

"I know." She nodded, holding her gaze. "…How do you think your parents will take it?" She inquired further.

Miku looked down and tightened her grip on her shoulders. "…I don't know."

She slowly brought a hand to her chin, having her raise her head back up to restore eye contact. "Do you want me to be there?"

"Please, if you would." She immediately implored. Her tense look then relaxed into a smile. "…my parents will both immediately understand why I'm in love with you when they meet you."

Luka smiled back. "…you're exaggerating…"

Miku pouted. "…Well, I'm sure they'll at least be able to see we're meant to be."

"If you say so." She kept smiling.

Miku edged closer to hug her. She rested her head on her shoulder, letting a comfortable silence instill itself between them. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the other woman's slow breathing, absentmindedly matching her own to it. With their slick skin together and the warm water surrounding them, it almost felt as if they had melted into one body. It distractedly made her wonder if their hearts also were beating in synch. Only after a long moment did she open her mouth again. "Luka…are you ready for your fans to know? You always did hide that you…you prefer women."

"I'm ready for the world to know I love you." She answered simply, her arms still safely around her.

Miku opened her eyes, her head still on her shoulder. She stared at the love bite she made on Luka's neck earlier that morning. "Then…Let's tell the whole truth." She said before she kissed the painless bruise. "I want this song to be true. I want our words to be real, and I want… I want everyone to understand."

Luka nodded. "I agree… I think if we just tell our story as it is, with everything we have experienced…it might break through." She thought out loud. She tried to meet the young woman's gaze, but it proved a little hard with the way her head rested against her shoulder. "We'll have to re-write a lot of the lyrics though."

"I don't care, it'll be easy." Miku declared, raising her head back up to look at her.

"Yet so hard at the same time." Luka sighed, smiling.

She frowned lightly. "What do you mean…? All we have to do is explain our feelings."

"Exactly…" Luka shook her head. "I don't know how we'll be able to explain how powerful this attraction is…how in the end, we could only surrender to it. Honestly, how can we explain it in but a few lines?" She trailed her fingers on her cheek, then traced her jaw with her index. "It is so beyond us…it feels like a greater force, a…law of nature is driving us together. I can almost feel an inescapable…physical force pulling me to you." She whispered, moving closer to seal the distance between them. "You…pull me in like a magnet."

"…" Miku rested her forehead against hers, pushing her body into hers. "…Then we'll just say it like that." She breathed, closing her eyes. "I like the way you've said it."

Luka observed her peaceful features. "You pull me in like a magnet?" She whispered again, eyes half-closed and her lips lightly brushing against the younger woman's.

Miku nodded very faintly. "A magnet…" She pressed her lips to hers tenderly. "I think it's the best way to put it." 

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"HOLY SHI-" Miku slammed the door closed as soon as she opened it. "Get dressed!" She shouted at them from outside Miki's room.

It only took a few seconds before Lily came out of Miki's room wearing the clothes she had on yesterday. "...'mornin Miku." She smiled sheepishly.

Miku slammed the door again so Miki wouldn't hear them. "What! What?" She couldn't even begin to phrase a real question. She just couldn't believe the blond was just… moreover she couldn't believe Miki had been ready for _any_ sexual activity. The redhead was so childish, naïve and unaware…a little more than a week ago she didn't even understand she was feeling attraction, let alone love. How could she have been ready? How could Lily have taken her innocence like that? And it wasn't even morning anymore, it was afternoon! "WHY?" Miku finally exploded, a little louder than she would have liked.

Lily made a face; her pinky went to her ear to clear it, as if Miku's outburst had disturbed her hearing. "…what do you mean, why?… …it just turned out that way." She sighed.

Miku suddenly wanted to strangle her. "She's a kid!" She hissed, both hands in the air in disbelief.

"She's not!" Lily snarled back immediately. She took a deep breath, trying to calm down, but her icy blue eyes pierced into Miku like daggers. "She might act like a big baby at times, but she's sixteen for christ's sake!" She exhaled again to vent her anger. "….Believe me, she was _more_ than ready!"

"…I didn't need to know that." Miku answered quietly, astounded by the other woman's genuine irritation. It was the second time Miku saw the blond truly upset. The first had been when Rin had made a scene a few days ago. Things very rarely seemed to get to her, and though it shook Miku to see her so affected, she was slightly relieved to see Lily wasn't brushing her actions off as unimportant.  
However…Miku still couldn't believe what had happened; she thought the blond should have been responsible enough to know what consequences her actions could entail. "…Lily, you're more mature than that!" She tried to get her point across. "How could you?"

She slapped her hand to her own forehead, groaning. "I'm not like Luka, Miku! I don't have self-control like she does, and I have no fucking clue how she deals with…" She couldn't seem to find the words to explain and made a few incoherent gestures. "…how she deals with _you_!" She sounded somewhat exasperated. "Yesterday, Miki…she asked me for this. I didn't know what to do, and honestly Miki…she's…to me…" She trailed off. She truly was unable to explain her feelings clearly and was scared she might say something she'd regret. She shook her head. "…Look, let me figure it out, ok? I didn't just decide I wanted to do her without caring what happened after. I…I really, _really_ care for Miki, and I really don't want to… I won't hurt her. I won't. Ok? So don't worry."

Miku still looked apprehensive. "What about Meiko-san?"

Lily opened her mouth, then closed it again. "…Let me figure it out." She grumbled.

The young woman made a sour face. "…What a mess."

There was a short silence in which they just stared at each other. Lily's uneasy look turned into a perplexed one. She inspected her features, then looked her up and down. "…Say…you spent the night at Luka's place, didn't you?" She closed in slightly.

Miku blinked, very confused about the abrupt shift. "…I did, I… I fainted." She suddenly felt very awkward.

"Luka told me." Lily simply threw back, nodding. She was still scrutinizing her in a very uncomfortable, quite bizarre way. Ultimately, she narrowed her eyes, smirking cheekily. "…You had sex with her."

Miku's eyes widened. "Wh-what-how…?"

Lily landed one hand on the younger woman's shoulder. "I'm glad! You were both killing yourselves holding back!" She cheered.

"…W-we didn't have sex, we made love." Miku huffed in a very defensive manner.

"Oh yeah, I hear it's not the same." Lily sighed, but the same stupid grin was plastered on her face.

Miku wanted to ask how she had guessed, but at this point, Miki opened her room's door. She stared at her roommate, looking slightly embarrassed. "…Hi Miku."

Miku's gaze shifted to the redhead. Her skin was still flushed and she looked like she had been sweating. "…" She really could not look at her the same, now that she knew what she knew…and especially now that she had seen what she had seen.

Miki looked uncomfortable and she fidgeted slightly, looking anywhere but at the other young woman. "…"

Lily understood she was the third wheel, and she should let the two best friends sort everything out. "….I'll leave you girls to talk." She quickly excused herself. A few moments later, the two young women heard the front door open and close; they were left alone. They stared at each other as the awkwardness continued to permeate their silence.

Miku opened her mouth first. They had to break this silence sooner or later. "So… you…and Lily…?"

Miki shrugged, fiddling with her fingers clumsily. "I…yeah…but I always thought you'd do '_it'_ first."

"…" She coughed. "…seems it was at the same time." She mumbled.

The redhead's eyes went round and she looked up at her. "You mean, you and Luka-nee-san…?"

Miku nodded.

"Oh yay! I'm so happy for you!" Miki excitedly jumped in her arms. "You deserved a happy ending!"

Miku hugged her back… but instantly was very perturbed that the fresh fruity scent that usually stuck to Miki was smothered with a very distinctive honey one. It also reminded her what Miki had been doing just a few minutes ago. She awkwardly peeled her friend off of her. "…I can smell Lily on you…it's…sorry, it's a bit disturbing." She explained with embarrassment. "Shower before you hug me again…"

She made an o-shaped mouth and released her. "Sorry, I will."

After another very long and very awkward silence, Miku opened her mouth again. "I never thought both of us would… fall for women and…_be_ with them." She simply stated, a little incredulous.

Her eyes widened slightly in realization, and her expression turned grave. "…Miku, I think we might be the same person." Miki looked very serious.

"…Don't even _try_ to explain that." She warned. "I'll pretend I never heard it."

"…" Miki pursed her lips. "I'll go shower!" She declared suddenly and trotted to the bathroom.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

They stared at each other, both of them very serious. Being best friends, it was a non-spoken agreement that they should relate to each other significant events and important experiences when they occurred…but neither of them knew how or where to start. Miki picked up a cookie and dipped it in her tea, her roommate having prepared everything while she showered.

Miku watched her nibble at it and sighed. "…Did you tell Lily you love her?" She decided to start with an essential question.

"Un." Miki nodded, chewing on the caramel cookie.

She waited for her to continue. After Miki had swallowed her bite and there was no follow-up, Miku inquired further. "…What did she say?"

Miki shrugged. "In the end…nothing." She simply answered.

Miku could only frown. "…So how did you end up…?"

"Oh." The redhead munched down her last bite. "She asked if there was anything she could do and then I told her that I wanted to sleep together." She explained as if it was the most casual occurrence.

"…" There was another long pause, in which Miki didn't explain things further. "…So she just did?" Miku ended up asking.

"Basically." She nodded, going for another cookie.

Well, it did match what Lily had said earlier. Miku's eyes dropped to the cup she held with both hands. She slowly made it rotate, pensive. "So, are you an item…?" Miku knew with the way Lily had explained herself that they weren't, but she really needed to make sure her best friend knew where she stood.

Miki's nonchalance dissipated somewhat. "… …I don't think so." She carefully answered.

She exhaled silently, a little relieved to know Miki hadn't blinded herself to the situation. But her mood had changed enough to speak of itself. "It bothers you?" She quietly stated, more as a fact than a question.

She nodded. "A bit but…I didn't think she'd even consider me, so I'm happy to have at least gotten that." Miki very honestly replied, forgetting the sweet in her hand. "…I guess all I can do is just…wait and see what happens next." She concluded.

"You're strong… me…with Luka…when it comes to Luka…" She couldn't even imagine how she would feel if Luka had offered her body without her heart to go along with it…or worse, if Luka had another lover. Miku knew she would have either gone mad or turned into a very ugly person. "…I know I really need her to be mine. Completely mine. I couldn't deal with any other situation." She whispered, somewhat amazed that just thinking of this type of scenario could stir up such negative feelings within her.

Miki blinked. "Is she? Yours?"

She nodded, relaxing again.

After a short silence and a blank stare, Miki leaned towards her. "Are you the man?" She curiously asked.

Miku almost dropped her cup of tea. "W-what..?"

"The way you talked, I thought it sounded kind of…I don't know, possessive? Men are usually more like that than women, so I thought you might be the man in the couple." The redhead explained, watching her closely.

She immediately put her cup down and waved her hands in front of her frantically. "No, nooo!" Miku exclaimed. "…I…she…I-I really don't think we have man-woman roles…it's just…" She awkwardly tried to explain. "…"

"But when you did it, who was on top?" Miki bluntly questioned.

"…" Miku thought it through a short moment. She remembered very well the feeling and decided that for Miki, she could try and explain even if it meant she'd bear personal details. "See…Luka mostly was. But we…did switch. And I mean, she's…so…" She paused another instant to find the right words. "Luka is very tender and kind. Even when she was on top, I really didn't feel like she was dominant…and when I get on top of her, I didn't feel I was either…it's… …it's hard to describe…" She trailed off.

Deep red eyes stared at her very interestedly. "Can you still try?"

Miku's gaze dropped as she pondered on how to phrase this. "…I think the best way to put it is that…neither of us truly has control. I don't feel like there's a power struggle. We trust each other and we…completely entrust ourselves to each other…and we both care the best we can for the other. Does it make sense?" She awkwardly raised her eyes back to meet her best friend's, who nodded at her and motioned for her to continue. "I really can't say we have any type of…dominant-submissive or man-woman rapport, or even either of us being in charge." As she finished her explanation, she remembered how she held Luka down on the bed. "I mean, of course we play around too…a-and I might be a bit…insistent or…or aggressive sometimes…but when we get serious, it's really…mutual care. Do you understand…?"

"I think I do." Miki nodded. "It seems nice." She smiled and apparently remembered the cookie in her hand. She gobbled it down. "Lily is stronger than me, she's the one in control." She then declared without a hint of shame.

The teal haired young woman couldn't help a light blush. "I…would have guessed that." She coughed. "I don't think…anyone…I mean, even if she were with a man, I think Lily would still be dominant."

Miki nodded and her mood gradually seemed to break again. "…Do you think with Meiko-nee-san…?"

Miku instantly remembered when she had deliberately walked in on them; Lily was indeed on top at that moment. But she thought it wasn't data she should share with her friend. "…You shouldn't be thinking of them together…" She quietly advised.

"…" Her features were very even, grim and upset.

Miku couldn't recall having seen anything of that sort on the redhead. It troubled her and she quickly searched to change her train of thought. "How was…it?" She awkwardly asked, trying to shift her friend's ideas.

Miki lit up almost immediately. "Lily was nice most of the time, and she really made sure I was comfortable and that I was okay. But she teased me a lot." She pursed her lips cutely and observed Miku a short moment. "Luka-nee-san was probably much nicer with you. Was she?"

Miku's body remembered her touch and her lips before she could stop herself, and she let out a shuddering sigh. "Luka was…perfect." She confirmed, her voice a little too dreamy. "Gentle, attentive and…kind…really careful and passionate." Miku folded her arms tightly as if hugging herself. "…I miss her already." She mumbled.

Miki smiled. "I don't mind if she sleeps over sometimes."

"…" Miku blushed again. She had a little trouble imagining making love to Luka with her best friend in the next room.

"Are you noisy?" Said best friend asked much too casually.

"…I don't know." Miku breathed, uncomfortable. She couldn't recall how loud she had been, and though she had been very concentrated on any sound Luka made, she really couldn't measure if they were loud enough to bother someone next door.

Her friend smiled innocently. "We'll see I guess."

Miku cringed. "I don't want you to hear us!"

Miki blinked. "I don't mind."

Her whole face was burning and Miku knew she was a dark shade of red. "…But I do!"

The redhead shrugged. "But I'd probably be sleeping anyways."

Very apprehensive, Miku reach for her tea cup again. "…still. Now I'll be uncomfortable…"

"You don't have to be." Miki retorted insouciantly.

"It's not like I can help it." She sighed.

Some knocking on the front door disturbed their conversation, and they looked at each other. They both balled their right hand in a fist, shook said fist slowly and bringing it down the third time, released a hand symbol.

Miki had scissors. Miku had paper.

Miku stood and went to the door. Opening it, she was a bit surprised to see Gumi.

Her green eyes stared back with the same surprise. "…Both of you missed school and none of you answered our messages, so I just came by to check if you were alright." The short haired girl explained, a little unsure as she looked her up and down. "But you look fine."

"…W-we're…fine. It's just…we both had circumstances…" She clumsily explained as she motioned for her friend to come in.

Gumi removed her shoes and joined them in the kitchen, saluting the redhead as she sat. Miku poured their guest some tea and sat back down with them. She and Miki couldn't continue their conversation with Gumi having joined them, and Miku racked her brain to try and find an excuse for both of them having missed school.

"…What happened?" The short haired girl asked curiously.

Before she knew it, she blurted a believable lie. "…Lily drank so much we thought she poisoned herself with alcohol so we brought her to the emergency." Miku mentally apologized to the blond.

Gumi nodded slowly, seemingly evaluating the veracity of the story. "I see." She uttered, doubt evident in her voice. She recalled when she came in, Miku had said they both had circumstances, which meant they were separate circumstances. She observed the older one of the two roommates and decided she only believed the story if Miki was the only one having brought her there. There was a pretty dead giveaway about Miku's behavior pointing toward something else. Her vivid green eyes were fixated on the teal ones. "…and as for you, something happened with Megurine-san?" She quietly added.

Miku whitened. "E-eh?"

"…You're suddenly cheerful again." She explained casually. "…livelier than I've ever seen you, in fact. Since what had been plaguing you was your relationship with her…I can only attribute your return to your normal self to this."

"…" The teal haired young woman suddenly found herself very stupid. Of course Gumi would notice her current positive mood after the breakdown Miku had the last time the short haired girl was over. "Yeah. I…we…" She exhaled nervously and looked up at her friend. "Luka and I…we're lovers now."

There was a long silence in which Gumi's expression didn't change. "Are you sure she loves you?"

Miku nodded. "…I'm absolutely certain."

"…Because you know…with her looks, she could have any man…I don't want you to get hurt if she's just playing with you." She explained, having quite a lot of trouble understanding things went so smoothly in a situation where everything could have went and could still go wrong.

"She's not just playing with me." Miku confirmed again.

Gumi still looked hesitant. "…Even if she's not, are you sure she's committed? I mean, it won't be easy for you two to be together…maybe she was seduced by the idea as you worked together, but when you'll have to stop being together, after this single is done…she might go for the easy road…"

She sighed. "Gumi…listen. Luka…she's…she's actually the one who fought me off because among other things, she was scared of this…but on my part. Because…on her part, she…doesn't…she _can't_ pick the easy road. And she _really_ tried _hard_ to spare me the trouble. She pushed me away more than once." Miku finally explained.

Her green eyes were quite wide. "Are you saying…?"

"…mmyeah." Miku acquiesced again, slowly. "She's…that way. "

They stared at each other, and Gumi really didn't seem ready to believe her.

"What does that mean?" The redhead interrupted.

The short haired girl glanced at her. "…That she…likes women, Miki-chan." She offered very quietly, incredulous.

Miki blinked. "Who doesn't?"

Miku coughed. "…Luka _only…-loves- _women, Miki."

She made the cute o-shaped mouth she did every time she suddenly understood important information. "Luka-nee-san is a lesbian?"

Her roommate winced. "…y-yeah. She is." She really didn't like that word, she had heard it much too often in a pejorative way and it still rang badly in her ears. She really preferred the way Luka had phrased it when she came out to her. 'Gay' sounded fine to Miku.

"Do you think she looked at the other girls in the locker room? I think I would have, if I'd been her." Miki commented rather randomly.

Miku held in her breath, wondering again why Miki thought of these things. Why was _this_ her first reaction? Did Lily really rub off on her _that_ much? "…It's not like her to take advantage of the situation, so I don't think she would've stared." Miku still presented her best friend with the only answer she could come up with, knowing Luka.

Miki nodded enthusiastically and reached for her third cookie. Another awkward silence instilled itself as Miku and Gumi stared at each other. The redhead happily gobbled down the sweets.

Gumi lifted her cup of tea and brought it close to her mouth, but didn't drink, apparently still disturbed. She immediately set it back down, gawking at Miku. "But Megurine-san, she's so…feminine!" She finally blurted, still unbelieving.

Miku blinked. "…And?"

Gumi opened her mouth, but closed it again. She scratched her head, thinking. "…"

"…" Miku waited for her to explain.

She sighed softly, shaking her head as she threw her hands in the air in a small, hopeless motion. It looked like she had given up. "Honestly, I know it's a stereotype. But it's just…I would have expected to learn something like that about…for example, a woman who dresses in armor and has short hair…like Meiko-san." She stated frankly. "Megurine-san is so much more womanly than…all of us combined. She'd be the least likely candidate one would point as… …well…homosexual." There was a very small, ambiguous smile on her features.

Miku smiled back slightly. "…I kinda get what you mean. I was surprised too." She simply answered. "That's why people really shouldn't judge a book by its cover." Though as Gumi had guessed, Meiko actually had some tendencies. But Miku thought she really shouldn't tell Gumi this, especially when the older woman had made such an effort to keep her relationship with Lily a secret. And Miku thought she also should let the short haired girl get comfortable with the idea of her with Luka before she said anything about Lily's preferences or what happened with Miki. All this at once would be too overwhelming to someone who was just starting to accept homosexual behavior.

"I guess, sorry." Gumi shook her head, getting over the shock. "So…" She cleared her voice. "…you said you were _lovers_…? I think you phrased it in quite an interesting way. Does that mean…?"

Miku was mortified (and a bit indignant). She never expected Gumi to ask.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"It's done. With your approval, we would like to move on to recording." Luka said as she rested a re-writable CD and a partition on their manager's desk. Both of items were titled _'Magnet'_.

The little man looked ecstatic. "Let's see!" He inserted the CD in his laptop and as the music started, he picked up the sheets to follow where the lyrics would be. He attentively read what they would be saying. His expression changed multiple times along the symphony as he read the partition; concentration, excitation, he seemed touched, then pained, then he was teary eyed. Luka looked over at the younger woman, and Miku smiled at her, confident.

The last notes of the demo rang in the room and he stayed motionless, taking it all in. Then he carefully rested the partition back on his desk. "Wonderful! Brilliant!" He exclaimed suddenly. "I'm so glad I left it up to you, I don't think it could have turned any better than this. It will be a _massive_ hit if you can make believe it's for real!"

"…I believe it won't be a problem." Luka smiled. "Miku and I grew quite…close along the way. We're definitely comfortable enough with each other to do whatever it takes for our fans to believe '_us'_." Her smile grew, a little veiled. Miku had to concentrate in order to not snort or cackle, she couldn't believe Luka was implying so much so freely.

His features twisted into a Cheshire cat smile. "Very well, we'll be taking advantage of that for the upcoming photo shoot." The bald man thought he had cornered them.

Miku knew then that he would have her pose with Luka in a very suggestive manner. Against what he probably expected out of her, Miku was very thrilled. She would be able to be physically close to Luka in public, and everyone would find it normal. "How much will we be taking advantage of it?" She questioned curiously, careful not to let on how excited she was.

"We'll see on set how truly comfortable you are!" He laughed.

Luka was still smiling, and Miku bit her lower lip slightly. She wondered when would be best to let him and the rest of the staff know that this wasn't a game anymore. She wondered if they should let them understand during the photo shoot. Miku knew Watanabe would try and get her to kiss Luka. After all, he seemed very excited about their upcoming promotional shots…and he had always tried to have her kiss Kaito when he had her play along with the blue haired man. Miku had always categorically refused to kiss Kaito, so she wondered what kind of reaction they'd get when she'd very willingly kiss Luka…and how these pictures would be received by the public.

"Have you decided on the costumes?" He moved on jovially.

Miku seemed to wake up and shuffled through some papers she had in a folder they had prepared. "We liked this one a lot." She said as she pulled a sheet with simple, elegant black dresses. "It fits with the dramatic-romantic tone of the song." She handed it to him and he nodded approvingly. Miku then pulled another sheet with sketches. "We'd like to add butterfly wings to the headphones. Luka's in teal, mine in pink."

He observed the rough sketches and frowned, scrutinizing and trying to envision it. "Cute." He commented. "It's reminiscent of these necklaces you've both been wearing."

"It's…an important symbol for us." Luka quietly explained as she reached for Miku's hand. The young woman gave a fleeting but very tender glance as she squeezed her hand softly.

He laughed loudly. "Such complicity! Even I almost believe you two!"

Both of them looked at each other again, unable to say anything.

**-continued in ch.12**


	12. Chapter 12

**I'm a bit late with the delays I'd given, but I realized Otakon was in like…a month or so. So I've been dividing my free time between this and crafting some cosplay. _**  
**HOW TERRIBLY COMPLEX CAN LIFE BE.**  
**FFFFFFFFFFFFFML.**  
**/end.**  
**Now, about some reviews I had (I'm sorry I don't answer to all of them directly, but if you really really want to talk with me, feel free to pm :3) (But still, thank you to everyone who does review, I check my e-mails on my phone everywhere, all the time to see if I got any _), ABOUT SOME REVIEWS… :)**  
**- I might just do that chapter with Miki/Lily as an extra one-shot on the side! But I'd have to be working on it while trying to keep a decent pace on this fic. So I'll be thinking about releasing it when I'm done here _o**  
**- I used magnet's original pic as a reference for Luka's teal eyes. I know on Luka's original art, they're blue. Some artists draw them blue, some artists color her nail polish pink; but I loved that the matched Miku's for the magnet original art, and I think teal isn't that far from the blue used in Luka's art. :)**  
**Makes all the more reason for Miku to stare at her eyes :D**

**GOD, I rant more and more. D:**

They exited the small man's office and walked their way back to the lounge, as they had to go through it to exit the building. Luka carried most of the paperwork in her large purse, and Miku had her schoolbag in one hand. Her other hand reached out for Luka's as they silently walked down the hall. Miku kept an eye open to make sure no one was around. She tightened her grip and Luka stopped in her track to look at her.

From the way she clutched her hand, Luka felt distress, a silent request for support from the younger woman. She observed her features again, now that they weren't in front of their manager, now that Miku wasn't pretending to be cheery and carefree for him. "You look…troubled." Luka carefully stated.

Miku looked down at their entwined fingers. "My mother called this morning, before school."

"…" The taller woman understood her concern, and she waited for her to continue.

She looked up at her. "She said she needed to talk to me 'cause with Romeo to Cinderella…and gossips about you and me, she said my father and her read too much crap in the magazines. She said we should discuss how far I should let… …you know, have limits with what our manager asks of me." Miku mumbled awkwardly.

Luka nodded. "I understand…I would probably be worried too if I were them." She simply answered, her voice comforting. She pulled on her hand for Miku to close in a little. "About us…If you're not comfortable yet, I don't mind if you tell your parents they are just stories…" She quietly said.

"I can't lie, say it's all made up by the industry, only to come back later and tell them I do love you!" Miku countered, a little louder than what she would have liked to. She looked around, and with no one in sight, she relaxed again. "I mean, I know the people writing those articles don't even believe what they write…they believe we're playing a game for scandals, but…but most of what my parents must have read about us…it still ends up being true." She closed in a bit more, their bodies only half a foot apart. "…I really want to be with you. Openly. The sooner I tell my parents, the sooner we can let it be known. The sooner we can stop being careful what we do, what we say…" She whispered. "I decided to go home this weekend and…explain everything."

Luka gave a light, encouraging squeeze on her hand. "…Do you still want me to be with you?"

Miku smiled. "…Do you mind sleeping over at my parent's house?"

She shook her head no, but looked concerned again. "I don't mind…but will they have me there?"

The younger woman's expression hardened. "If they won't, I'll be leaving with you." She simply stated.

Her eyes widened slightly. "…" Luka knew in that situation, if she had to leave and Miku decided to go with her…then the young woman would most likely lose her family. "…Do you really…?"

Her hard features wavered slightly at the thought, but she stayed firmly resolute. "…If they can't see…if they can't try to understand, then…then I choose you over them. You're what I need most of all." She whispered, holding her stare with all the conviction in the world.

Luka felt emotion overcome her and she discarded her purse to swiftly pull her into her arms. Miku dropped her schoolbag to return the embrace. The silence around them let them enjoy each other without worrying about being seen. The taller woman gently pushed away the teal bangs to kiss her forehead, then moved lower. Miku met her lips immediately, her hands going down her back, caressing. Slowly, they followed her curves and reached her thighs, she hesitated only half a second before she crawled her hands under her dress.

Luka broke the kiss, but kept her very tight against her. "Stop, not here…not now…" She breathed softly before she kissed her again.

Her fingers slowly caressed the skin inside her thighs, and she felt the other woman frisson in her arms. "It's only been a few days, but I miss you so much…" Miku whispered back.

"God knows I do too…" She moved her hands to her rear. "But…now is neither the time nor the place for this." Luka's lips were on her neck, kissing her skin burningly.

Miku melted closer to her. "…Your actions are contradicting your words…" She moaned quietly.

Hearing the younger woman's moaning made her skin warmer and her head lighter. "I can't help myself…" Luka pushed her against the wall, one hand pulling her tie loose and unbuttoning the top of her uniform shirt to taste more skin.

Miku pulled her closer, not minding how squeezed she was between the wall and the other woman's body. "It's fine…" She whispered, her hands clutching at the back of the other woman's dress. "Don't let go…"

Luka ran her hands up and down on her body, breathing against her ear, kissing her cheek, her neck, into her shirt. Miku was burning hot in her arms, and she truly felt she was losing her mind. "What if we get caught…?" She had never been so intimate with someone in such a public spot, and though the thought of getting caught was frightening, Miku's unshackled need for her had her unable to do anything else but respond as ardently.

Miku wished they were in either of their rooms so that she could tear her dress off her. "Do we care…?" She searched to meet her lips.

The pink haired woman complied immediately, kissing her fervently. She pushed against her, Miku's delicate and soft body seemed to fit perfectly with hers. Her hands caressed her thighs under her school uniform's skirt. She answered her between heavy breathes. "…depending on who would catch us…" She exhaled. "…It could turn quite ugly…"

"…" Miku's eyes snapped open and she was quickly thrown back down to earth. She didn't want their manager to know yet. She really did not want another verbal trashing by the purple haired man. She was scared if a staff member saw them, they could sell the info. "…let's stop…" She quietly said, kissing her cheek more tenderly. "I…I can't afford to get caught…I don't want my parents to know that way. I don't want them to get a bad opinion of you either."

Luka exhaled again, fighting her urges to gain some control back. Miku having cooled down allowed her to also do so. "...Yes, you're right…" She pulled back reluctantly and fixed her dress a little shakily.

The young woman bent to pick up her bag and her lover's purse. "Tonight…? Can I come over?" She quietly requested as she handed Luka her purse back.

She accepted it, but her features were grim. "I don't think it would be a good idea, if we want to lay low. Ever since that interview with Gakupo, the one where he said you…stole me away from him, I have been followed. I think some obsessive journalists set their mind to prove we really are..." She sighed. "The heavy storm on that night you stayed over…probably was what saved us the trouble from being caught right then. They either couldn't see you come in, or weren't around when you did."

Miku's expression now reflected the other woman's. "…I see." She understood what it meant. Until the end of the week, she would only be able to see the other woman in work conditions. "It'd be best if we don't have sleepovers, right?" She still confirmed.

Luka nodded slowly. "Until I meet your parents, at least. It would be too risky to spend nights together."

She pursed her lips, pouting at the idea. It was only a few more days of forced distance, but it still upset her. Now that Luka had finally given in, there were still other circumstances forcing them apart. Miku looked into her eyes. "So is this weekend good for you? My parent's house is about a two hours' drive from here."

She nodded. "I'll make this my priority and cancel everything else." Luka offered her a smile.

Miku nodded and walked with her to the elevator. "I can't believe this…I already miss you so much…" She glared at the elevator's door as if it was responsible for keeping them apart.

Luka smiled and pressed her lips to hers. "It's only a few days…and after this, we're free. Just be patient."

It made Miku smile back at her and she stepped into the elevator when the door opened. "…yeah, I guess you're right." She quickly went for a last kiss as they said goodbye before it closed, separating them. She leaned back against the wall and waited to reach the level floor. The elevator stopped only once for another passenger and Miku's features lightened. "Meiko-san!"

"Miku-chan, hi!" The short-haired woman grinned. "I didn't know you here today."

Miku nodded. "Yeah, we had to show our progress to Watanabe-san. On Friday we'll get our costumes, we'll try them on and some retouching will be done over the weekend...we'll be moving on to recording next Monday, Wednesday is the photo shoot. Then it'll be sent to printing, for release the next month. It's all moving so fast." She explained, a little overwhelmed.

Meiko's eyebrows went up. "Wow, time must be flying by…it seems it was only yesterday that you released Romeo to Cinderella. What's it been now?" She blinked a few times trying to remember.

"Four months already." Miku answered. They both stepped out of the elevator and she looked at her watch. "I'm sorry Meiko-san I can't stay and talk, Miki's waiting for me at home…"

The older woman simply smiled. "You're going straight home? I'll drive you then."

Miku shook her head no. "I don't want to burden you, it's a huge detour."

Meiko's expression grew a bit serious, but she tried to let nothing on. "…I'm going to Lily's place. She said she needed to talk to me, the sooner the better."

"Oh." She coughed, looking very uncomfortable. Miku knew Lily most likely had figured out what she should and wanted to do, and this would be why she had summoned the other woman. "Well then, please, if you don't mind…I'll take you up on your offer." She awkwardly tried to move on.

They walked to Meiko's red car in silence, and the woman fished her keys out of her purse. "Miku?"

The young woman put her schoolbag in the trunk. "mmmyeah?"

"…you have some lipstick on your…" Meiko motioned to her neck and chest area. "…neck."

Miku's eyes widened and her hand flew to where she knew Luka had kissed, she quickly rubbed it off. She also realized she had forgotten to properly straighten her uniform and redo her tie, the lipstick followed inside her collar and down. Frozen with her hand on her neck, she stared at Meiko with her eyes very, very wide. Miku looked like a deer in headlights.

Meiko seemed amused. "Did I miss something?"

Miku cleared her throat as she replaced her uniform, shaky from having been caught. She was relieved though, that of all people, it was this short-haired woman. She didn't want to imagine if it had been their manager or Kamui Gakupo. "N-not really…we…I…I've yet to tell everyone…" She murmured. Miku knew she didn't need to tell Meiko who's lipstick it was.

Her smile widened quite a lot. "…Are you and her…?" She looked unbelieving.

"Y-yeah." Miku blushed.

"Ooh, congrats!" She squeezed her in her arms. "I'm really happy for you; I was really scared you would get hurt when you told me you were attracted to her…" Meiko cheered, looking relieved as she released her.

Miku smiled. It really felt good to be able share, especially when she got immediate positive reactions. "Well, we had our share of trials...and I know we'll have some more…" She got in the car and fastened her seatbelt while the other woman started up the engine "…but I…I'd rather have to fight all my life than do without her…That's why when we release the single, we've decided to make it public." She explained, looking over at the other woman.

She stopped to look at her, incredulous. "…You'll actually…tell everyone it's not for show?"

Miku nodded. She had a slight idea what the short-haired woman thought of this, with what reaction she first had when Miku told her she was attracted to Luka. Meiko had told Miku she should lay low to protect herself, so she knew she would be shocked to hear they would make it public.

Meiko indeed looked apprehensive, but Miku knew she simply was worried for them. "Are you sure it's a good idea?" She very carefully inquired, her eyes now on the road.

Miku looked down at her hands, thoughtful. She placed her words in her head before she looked over at the driver again. "…Luka and I are in love, Meiko-san. We…" She took a deep breath. "We can't…let it become some dirty little secret…it would be much too sad! I absolutely do not want our feelings to be something we're ashamed of…something we'd hide." She explained. "This is who we are, and…and I'm not gonna pretend to be someone I'm not anymore. It doesn't matter who disapproves or who'll stop supporting me because of what feelings I have for her…as long as I have her, it's all I need."

Meiko stayed silent a long moment, reflecting on what the young woman sitting by her side had declared. After a while, she smiled softly, her eyes still on the road. "…You're brave, I really admire that."

Miku smiled too. "Thank you." She whispered. Then she thought back on how Luka and her almost lost control in the middle of the hall at work, and how Meiko had pointed out the lipstick on her neck. "I don't think we would be able to hide long anyways." She added, finding it all amusing despite herself.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Lily walked back from the kitchen with two beers in hand. "…What would you say if I told you I slept with someone else?" She casually asked as she offered the other woman a drink.

Meiko didn't look surprised at all; she expected this to turn up one day or another. After all, she knew Lily wouldn't be satisfied with forever staying her 'dirty little secret', as Miku had phrased it. The tall blond would sooner or later get fed up and look elsewhere.  
"You know I can't hold it against you, Lily…" Meiko sighed. "Certainly not when I'm having you endure being the hidden mistress while I'm making my life with a man out in the open." She quietly answered, opening her can. She sat on the couch and took a few drafts, then looked up at the blond, who was still standing in front of her. "…This person…Do you intend to keep seeing them or was it once?" She then inquired carefully. Meiko was pretty sure it was a woman, but she knew Lily had had one night stands with men here and there.

Lily went to open the window and took out a hand-rolled cigarette, pensive. "…I don't know how things will turn out yet." She quietly answered, making her lighter click.

The short haired woman quickly finished her beer as she watched her lover inhale deeply from the tobacco, her blue eyes lost in the darkening sky. "What's that supposed to mean?" Meiko frowned slightly, finding her answer odd.

The tall blond slowly exhaled the smoke outside. "…with her, it's…complicated is what I mean." She very ambiguously muttered.

Meiko then understood Lily hadn't picked up a stranger in a bar. One didn't get into a complicated and confusing situation in one night, so she understood Lily already had some type of relationship with this woman; it was someone in the blond's entourage. Therefore…Meiko knew it probably meant she knew her too. Her red eyes were very steadily following the other woman's silhouette as she went to get her another beer. She accepted it without a word, and opened the can with one hand. "…would you mind telling me who it is?" She finally dared to ask, unable to completely remove the bitterness from her voice. She knew she had no right to be jealous, and she did want to leave the other woman as much freedom as she left her…but it stung.

Lily smiled slightly when she heard the tone of her voice. "Take a guess." She looked a bit smug as she returned to her spot on the edge of the window.

"…" Meiko mentally screened through every possibility she saw, and then she very carefully rested her second beer on the table. Seeing no other likely candidate, her expression decomposed into a worried one. "Please, _please_don't tell me it's Megurine-san."

Lily looked insulted. "Wow, _thanks_." She scoffed, exhaling smoke outside once again. "But I'm not _that_horrible of a person, I'd never try to get between them. Those two are meant for each other." She stubbed her cigarette out in the dirty ashtray resting on the edge of the window, sighing softly. She crossed her arms and stayed silent a long moment, considering if she should tell the other woman. Meeting her eyes again, Lily told herself Meiko had always been honest with her, so she sighed again. "It's Miki."

She chocked on her beer, coughing loudly. "…Are you serious?" She wheezed before she could properly take a hold of herself.

The blond didn't move.

Meiko stared at her, waiting for her to crack up and laugh it off. Waiting for her to say it was a joke and offer her another name. But Lily stayed serious, and Meiko realized that she was telling the truth. She then remembered Miku's reaction earlier when she had told her Lily wanted to talk to her. She understood Miku had known. So everything made sense. "I…I don't know what to say." She mouthed awkwardly, trying to make a match of Lily and Miki in her head. "How old is she again…?"

Lily blinked. "Sixteen, going on seventeen. Why?"

Meiko pursed her lips, frowning. "Isn't she a little…young?" The question explained her reluctance.

"Maybe for you, but for me?" She raised an eyebrow, waiting for the other woman to add it up.

The brunette then realized her age difference with Lily was the same as Lily's with Miki. Meiko was twenty-four, Lily twenty, Miki sixteen. Both ways, it was a four years difference. "I guess you're right." She was still uneasy. She finished her second drink and rested the can next to the other one she had emptied. She then watched warily while the other woman finished her first beer. "Does she know about us?"

Lily nodded, crushing her now empty can in a very un-feminine manner. "She does."

Meiko ignored the move; she had seen her do that at least a hundred times. "…So you're not leading her on." She confirmed.

The blond scoffed again. "Of course not." She moved to close the window, the evening breeze chilling the room a bit too much for her liking. "Miku had told her about us, and I also made everything clear before we went through with it." Lily explained.

"Good." Meiko nodded, and then she cleared her throat. "…So…would you want to do it again with her?" She very quietly questioned. "I mean, I know you can't tell yet if you will, but in your head…would you want it to stay a one night thing or not?" She observed her.

Lily thought it through before she opened her mouth. "…If it was up to me, I'd like to be with her again…regularly." She frankly replied.

She absolutely hated hearing this, but the situation was out of her hands. Meiko leaned back into the sofa. "…Are there any feelings involved?" Her eyes searched Lily's impenetrably icy ones.

She stared back at her. Meiko's crimson eyes were stormy with raw emotion, and reminded her of Miki's similarly colored, similarly open ones; she couldn't hold her stare. "Miki loves me and I… …I…." Lily was slightly scared to put words on her feelings. "I…care for her." She chose to go with something safe.

Meiko noticed her carefulness and decided to inquire a bit further. "How much?"

Lily groaned. "I don't know." She had hoped she wouldn't have to explain, but she knew she should have known better. She stood from the edge of the window and walked closer to the other woman. "Honestly, I'm…confused. I always thought she was a kid, and…yeah, she's no womanly woman either, but…she's…definitely, _definitely_ not a kid." She sighed deeply, running a hand through her messy blond hair as she thought it through. "Miki, she's always been fun, open, trusting and so _damn_ cute. Then…I have no idea how I never noticed before, but she's got a _beautiful_ slim shape, really athletic. And she really did show me another side of her the other night…and I… and then…suddenly everything changed, something clicked in my head…and…and I don't know." She clumsily tried to explain, but she didn't even know what she felt exactly or where she was standing in all this. "The other night…it made me understand I hadn't been seeing…_really_ seeing her for all that time. I was so surprised, and impressed. She wants something; she's not scared to go for it. She's honest and passionate, and she…" She looked up at the other woman. "She knows exactly who I am, and she _still_loves me."

It wasn't very often she saw the blond confused or so deeply affected. Meiko wished she had a third beer in her hands to help calm her growing uneasiness. She sat a bit straighter, leaning forward. "…so long-term wise?"

"…" Lily looked down, then back up at her. "I'm still thinking about it…I mean…Miki deserves more than what crappy relationship I could offer. She deserves someone who'd love her without reserve, who'll make her live that sort of fairytale first love. It'll sound tacky, but I think she really deserves someone…pure. You know?" She crossed her arms thoughtfully. "But…I…don't want to give her up to anyone else." She added quietly and her expression turned into a displeased grimace "It makes me…it actually makes me sick to think anyone else would lay their hands on her."

Meiko knew what this disgust and possessiveness meant, even if Lily wasn't coming to terms with it yet. She bit her lower lip. She knew it was only a matter of time before she completely lost the tall blond standing a few feet away. Meiko weighed what she was about to say, observing her, then took a shivering breath. "…Should we stop seeing each other, then…?" She suggested in a whisper.

Lily wordlessly moved closer to her, standing right in front of her. She held her stare. "Do you want to?" She questioned back.

The brunette held her breath a second. She was the one who had suggested it, but she owed Lily an honest answer. "…No. I don't want to." She was still sitting, so she wrapped her arms around her waist and rested her forehead against her stomach, holding her very tight. "I'm sorry, Lily…I know I'm being selfish, but I…really don't want to let you go…"

"…" She ran her fingers through the short brown hair, slowly combing it. "Do you love Kaito?"

With closed eyes, she breathed the very light honey scent. "You know I do…" She mumbled.

Lily had a very small, sad smile. "…you'll _have_to let go of me at some point, you know that, right?" She reminded her.

"…I know." Meiko tightened her grip on the other woman. "Still…I don't feel I can." She whispered, her face pressed into her shirt. Lily's fingers in her hair were soothing, but it only served to nudge more at her conscience. "Unless…" She exhaled slowly, raising her head back up to look at her. "…do you need me to? Do you need me to cut it off? Am I hurting you?" Her arms were still around her waist.

The blond stared back at her, a bit unconcerned. "…I don't get hurt so easily, you know?" She simply said.

Meiko's gaze hardened, the taller woman had deflected the question. "Am I hurting you, Lily?" She asked again, more firmly.

She groaned and looked away. She obstinately kept silent for a long minute, but then she exhaled and met her eyes again. "…a bit." She admitted reluctantly. "I really liked it when I felt you needed me." She mumbled.

Meiko's hands around her waist clutched at the fabric of her shirt, her expression softening. "I still do."

Lily looked like she was sulking. "No, you don't." She muttered.

She moved her hands from around her to her hips. "…I wouldn't be here now if I didn't." She quietly said, leaning her forehead back on her stomach.

"…" She knew the other woman was right, and her hand in the short hair moved slowly again. "Sorry, I just…We used to be together at the very least every two days, and now it's like…once or twice a week. I just really miss spending so much time with you." She explained, her fingers trailing off on the back of her neck, massaging it slightly.

Meiko relaxed into her, her words and her hands were calming. With her head still resting against her, Meiko's hands on Lily's hips played with the hem of her shirt. This was when she felt most at ease. With Kaito, she felt at the back of her mind the burden of deceiving him. He didn't know of Lily's existence. But Lily knew about Kaito, and there was none of this weighing down on her now. Moreover, with him, she always felt the need to keep up some sort of façade. She was afraid some part of her would disappoint him. She never cared about this with the blond, because that woman had seen her at her ugliest and she still accepted her. Meiko wondered what would have happened if Kaito hadn't been around. How would it have turned out with Lily? She breathed in her scent. "…Do you think you would have been able to spend the rest of your life with me?" She quietly asked, not moving her face from her shirt.

Lily sighed very softly. She knew her relationship with Meiko had up until recently been nothing more than convenient and comfortable. But besides her not actually being head over heels in love, Meiko brought her all she needed. They weren't the greatest or most perfect match, but they still were a great match for each other. The blond thought to herself that this coziness was something she could have indeed been happy with for the rest of her life. "…I think I could have." She whispered, her hand back in the short brown hair.

Meiko pulled back to look at her. "… …I would have too."

"…" She trailed her fingers to her cheek. "This is why letting go is so hard, huh?" Lily tried to smile.

She searched her eyes; the icy blue somehow reflected some warmth. This was something she was amazed with each and every time; the color of Lily's eyes made her stares piercing, her expressions impenetrable, yet Meiko could occasionally see through to something very gentle. And when she would manage to see through the mystifying iciness, when Lily opened herself enough to let her glimpse behind her ruthless façade, her heart would inevitably beat a little faster. She brought her hand over Lily's, on her cheek. "Do you think…it's possible to truly…love two persons at the same time?"

Her expression grew stern and the small ounce of warmth dissolved into the cool blue, leaving once again nothing but its coldness. "…You don't love me, Meiko. And I don't love you." She said in a very firm tone.

Meiko still searched for whatever gentleness she could find, but it had been completely sealed away. "…How can you say that?" She quietly murmured.

"Because we really don't." Lily simply answered, looking a bit distant. "We do care a lot, but this isn't love." She dejectedly stated.

The brunette still stayed seated, but she released the other woman's hand. "Are you trying to fool yourself to protect yourself?" She bluntly asked.

The tall blond shook her head no slowly. "If it was love, we couldn't bear the idea of the other with someone else." She held her gaze.

"…" Meiko wanted to tell her she hated that she spent the night with Miki, but she held her tongue. Her eyes betrayed so many emotions, but she knew Lily wouldn't be able to put her finger on what she was truly feeling.

Indeed, she didn't understand most of it, and she thought it would all clear as the conversation went on. She continued. "I…back then, when we were younger…I was in love with Luka. I _really_was. My heart would flutter when I saw her and I would have done the craziest things just to see her smile. I was devoted to her, and love made me…irrational, possessive and jealous. That's how it feels… and I'm not like that with you. And you're not like that with me. You're like that with Kaito."

"…" Meiko wanted to add _'And it seems you're like that with Miki-chan, if you don't want to give her up to anyone, if you're sick thinking about someone else touching her'_, but she held her tongue. She rested her forehead back on her stomach.

Lily pursed her lips, displeased that she would be unable to read her, but she still brought both hands to hug her head against her very gently. "You accepted and were understanding that I spent the night with Miki…and I did it knowing you would be."

"…" She wanted to tell her she wasn't jealous and possessive only over Kaito; that she only was accepting and understanding because she knew she had no right to be anything else, but she held her tongue. She clutched the back of Lily's shirt with both hands.

"In the end, you don't care that I see someone else, and I don't care that you're seeing Kaito either …" Lily sighed.

"…" She wanted to tell her she was sorry because she wished she could spend as much time with both of them, she wished she could be with her as openly as she was with Kaito, but she held her tongue. She rubbed her face against her shirt, it rode up slightly.

Lily moved her hand again in the short brown hair. She thought of how sick Miku had made herself over Luka, and was a bit sad she wasn't like this with the short-haired woman hugging her. "…Really, how could we call this love?"

"…" Meiko wanted to tell her that after all, she indeed was in love with her…but of course, she held her tongue. She couldn't selfishly confront her with this now, it was too late. She very softly kissed her belly where skin was uncovered as her shirt had ridden up.

"Because we care a lot doesn't mean we're in love." Lily finished, detaching the other woman from her to sit beside her.

"…" Meiko knew that in most relationships, there was one who loved the other more. She had always known that of the both of them, she was that individual. She loved Lily much more than the blond loved her. She loved her as much as she loved Kaito, she had fallen in love with her along the way. But she knew she couldn't keep them both. She knew he would be hurt. Moreover, she had known all along what were Lily's feelings. "…Yeah." She finally opened her mouth, only to agree against everything she felt. "I guess you're right." She lied. "…It doesn't make it any easier to break it off with you though." She added quietly.

"Yeah." Lily bit her lip in an unsymmetrical movement and leaned back into the sofa. "…we're just not ready yet."

"…I don't think we'll…ever be. We'll just have to stop anyways." Meiko carefully answered. There was a long silence, and she didn't move or turn to Lily. She still sat on the edge of the sofa, and the blond could only see the back of her head. "…you know, I'll still keep what we had in my heart. It might have been an unconventional relationship, to say the least, but I…really felt good, at peace and content when I was with you."

Lily observed the back of the other woman's silhouette. She realized her body had grown cold, and her heart thumped loudly. "You talked in the past tense." She whispered.

Meiko nodded. "…tonight will be the last time." She finally turned to look at her. Her expression was gentle. "It'll be better for everyone if we stop the sooner we can and…we'll never be ready to let go anyways, so why not now." She explained.

"…" She should have expected it, but she hadn't. Lily had thought the other woman would stick by her a little longer and she hadn't been mentally prepared. Still, she agreed. "You're right." She slowly moved to the edge of the sofa to be at her level. "It'll be better that way."

Meiko tried to smile as she cupped her cheek, her eyes watery. "I'll miss you terribly…"

Lily groaned and pulled her into her arms."Don't get mushy." She grumbled, leaning the side of her head against hers. She inhaled Meiko's familiar, spicy scent.

"Why? Am I gonna make you cry too?" The brunette brought one hand to the back of the other woman's head and combed the blond hair slowly.

"I don't cry." Lily firmly stated, sounding a little defensive.

"…" Meiko's tears made their way down her cheeks. She also felt some wetness on her neck as Lily pushed her face against it, squeezing her in her arms. "…Of course you don't." She answered very softly.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Miku looked at herself in the mirror, very pleased. She turned slightly to see her back and smiled widely. The elegant black dress was perfect. She then trotted out of her changing cabin and let herself in Luka's. The other woman was finishing putting on her dress, which looked equally impeccable. It flattered her fantastically, and Miku was particularly satisfied with their choices of costumes. She approached her, and Luka smiled at her.

"You look stunning." The pink haired woman whispered, motioning for her to give a turn so she could see the back too.

Miku did a twirl, allowing Luka to fully seize her dress and then she approached closer. "So do you." She remarked, slowly circling her, looking her up and down. Miku moved a hand to her hip and trailed it on her rear, groping freely as she moved around her. Luka shook her head, chuckling. Miku then reached for her hand. She stood next to the taller woman and they looked at their reflection in the full-body mirror.

"We look perfect together." Luka smiled again, squeezing her hand gently.

"We really do." Miku nodded. She was positive that not one soul could say the opposite. She turned her head and gave a quick peck on her shoulder. Luka's smile widened and Miku couldn't resist sticking herself to her. She reached to wrap both arms around her neck while the pink haired woman's hands rested on her lower back. Miku distractedly noticed Luka didn't need to bend over to let her wrap her arms around her neck comfortably, but had there been even as little as a two inches more difference in their stature, this position would have been uncomfortable. "Your height is perfect." Miku noted.

She blinked a few times. "Oh, it is?"

The young woman nodded, very self-assured. "I like that you're taller. But had you been any taller, this would be uncomfortable. And…" She tilted her head up very slightly to meet her lips in a spontaneous movement, surprising Luka. "…I can also claim kisses myself." Miku whispered, grinning. "Can you imagine? If you were any taller, I'd have to _ask_you for kisses and you'd have to bend down to allow me to kiss you."

"Wow, we couldn't have that, now could we?" Luka amusedly commented, keeping her tone much too casual.

"Of course we couldn't!" Miku scoffed. "I'd be dependent on you all the time! And you can be such a prude, seriously. I definitely wouldn't get as many kisses as I want."

She would have tried to defend herself, but she knew that of the two of them, she indeed was the tamer one. Though it was simply because Miku was more daring than most, not because Luka was more reserved than most. "My, I'm sorry." Her apology didn't sound very genuine.

"You'd better be." Miku simply threw back.

"I'll try kissing you more often." Luka offered, managing to keep a very cool façade.

"You'd better." She snorted.

So she kissed her, and Miku momentarily lost her means, like every single time Luka decided to take charge. Something came to her, and she pulled back to look at the younger woman. "So when I wear heels? Everything's out of balance."

She seemed to evaluate things a moment. "Heels put my head at your chest's level. I'll just aim there and make you into a puddle of goo." Miku proudly declared.

Luka's jaw hung open in an unbelieving half-smile. Miku was amusing her greatly, so she continued to play along as the voice of reason. "A kiss can be quick and discreet, but you can't just fondle me anytime, everyone would notice…"

Miku thought it through again, then shrugged. "I guess I'll have to wear some heels myself to restore the balance. Plus, it makes a woman's legs look good."

"You don't need heels for your legs to be stunning" Luka observed.

She puffed her chest, making herself look important. "Well then, that's even more reason to do so! When I'll be wearing some, I'll have you drooling all over me!" She grinned cheekily, making the other woman laugh once more.

"You're unbelievable." She pulled her closer again, this time in a more intimate embrace. She held her so closely, she immobilized her.

Miku could do nothing but obediently melt into her. "…I like it when I feel you want me." She simply murmured, dropping the comic act. Her lips started exploring the exposed skin of her neck and chest; she felt a shuddering sigh escape her lover.

"Like I do now…?" Luka whispered back, her hands running in the teal hair.

"Yeah, just like that." She confirmed, biting softly at her skin.

She moaned quietly. "Don't leave any bruises…"

"Got it…" She continued her loving, burning kisses. It had been over a week since that night she spent with Luka, and except two or three hot making out sessions in dark corners of the agency's headquarters, they hadn't been able to touch each other again. So Miku enjoyed this moment immensely. She started massaging Luka's completely exposed back as she relished in her, when she felt her twitch and shiver. "…what?" She raised her head to look at her, smiling.

She pulled her a little closer, encouraging her to get back to her neck and torso. "Nothing…it's just…when you run your fingers down my spine, it makes me shiver."

"Oh, really?" Miku grinned, doing it again.

Luka gasped lightly. "Stop it…I…" She tried to pull away from her, but the young woman stayed very tightly stuck to her. She felt Miku's nails scraping lightly at her naked back and she was shaken by a major shiver. "Miku, this is…it's seriously turning me on…stop…we absolutely can't do this now."

She was astonished Luka was reacting so much to something like this. "How odd." She made her index's nail follow her spine in a very light scratch, and Luka slapped a hand on her mouth, trying to keep herself in check.

She vacillatingly made Miku release her and she straightened herself. "It's not odd." She retorted shakily, turning to the mirror. "…There are a lot of nerves connected to the spine." She offered as an explanation, trying to sound disinterested as she busied herself fixing her dress.

As she turned to the mirror, Luka had exposed her back to her. "…I see." Miku moved closer again, with both arms going for Luka's waist. She laid her head on her shoulder, kissed her neck, then the back of her neck, then her lips followed on her spine.

"…Miku…what are you doing?" Luka moaned softly.

"experimenting…" Miku continued kissing her back, one hand travelling down her stomach. She pulled up her dress until she could touch her, her other hand still tightly hugging her. She crawled her fingers into her panties and Luka exhaled deeply, letting her have her way. As she stroked gently, Miku could feel the other woman was already soaking wet, and she understood Luka really hadn't been joking when she said it turned her on. She wondered if there were any other unexpected things that sent Luka reeling. "I want to know everything about your body…" She declared in a quiet voice, slowly moving her fingers to enter her.

Luka leaned forward slightly, and when Miku started going in and out, both her hands went flat against the full-body mirror to help her stay in a standing position. She closed her eyes to avoid looking at herself in such a state.

With her head resting on her naked back, Miku could feel her skin heat up against her cheek. She could also hear her heart rate increase rapidly. Luka started moving alongside her hand, following her movement, and it made Miku smile to herself. She absolutely loved this responsive, rhythmic movement of her hips. "What else do you like? What can I do to make you lose your mind?" She whispered quietly.

Luka struggled to stay put, rocking her hips slowly. "… y-you…. …can… three… could fit…in…" She gasped her sentence. She knew she shouldn't be suggesting ways to increase her pleasure; she should be pushing her away because people were waiting for them just outside. But she had longed desperately for Miku to touch her again and she absolutely couldn't resist her.

"Oh…" Miku pushed a third finger in, pumping a little faster. "…Tell me more?" She whispered, her lips still on her back.

She tried to answer, but the pink haired woman could only moan. It took everything in her to just keep standing. Luka pushed the upper half of her body against the cold mirror, her forehead resting on it. She hoped to cool herself down enough not to sweat, enough so her skin wouldn't be flushed. She really wanted to avoid anyone having any suspicions.

"Hatsune!"

Both of them froze. Their manager's voice came from outside the cabin area, but just a few feet away.

Miku cleared her voice, doing her best to sound normal. "Yes?"

"You're up first!" He called. They still had to show off their dresses and get them adjusted.

"…I'll be there in a minute!" Miku answered sweetly before pushing her fingers harder and deeper into the other woman.

Luka brought a hand to her mouth to muffle her moaning. She was scared her legs would give out, and somewhere at the back of her mind, she knew the only reason she could still stand was because Miku was supporting part of her weight. Her arms were too weak to really help any in holding her up. Her damp skin stuck slightly to the mirror, she started quivering and her eyes rolled back.

Miku could feel her start to tighten around her fingers, and she knew the other woman was very close. She pulled her tighter with the arm around her waist and pushed closer with her body, squeezing Luka against the mirror a bit more. The young woman was incredibly turned on; her respiration was almost as erratic as her lover's and she breathed hard against her back. Her heart pounded in excitement, her body was on fire, she could barely hold her own. It was to the point she wondered if the simple thrill of pleasuring Luka could make her climax too. With her head lying on her back, she distinctly felt all her muscles tense and then spasm. Luka exhaled a quiet, guttural moan and her legs gave out. Miku gradually helped her down to rest on the floor, taking her fingers out. Luka turned her way as she sat, breathing hard. Miku crouched in front of her.

"…" She put her fingers to her thumb and felt the stickiness.

Luka had opened her eyes in time to see her do so. "…Give me your hand."

Miku extended it towards her and Luka slowly sucked her fingers clean, her intent stare holding Miku's fevered one. Miku's heart jumped, thumping harder than ever as soon as she felt her mouth on her, and she felt the same hot kick in her stomach as the first time she had seen Luka naked. Her skin was heightened, her head foggy, her body burning hot. She stayed frozen the whole time Luka sucked on her fingers, and as soon as she released them, Miku closed in to kiss her fervently. She started moving to sit on her lap. She was so excited, she knew it would take but a few minutes for her to get release. But their manager's voice rang again, making her jump out of her skin.

"We haven't got all day!" He sounded angry, and Luka opened her eyes to look at her.

Miku knew she didn't have these few minutes they needed for Luka to satisfy her. She groaned, standing back up. "Great…now I have to go out like this." She fixed her dress. "This is so unfair."

Though the circumstances were really painful on Miku, Luka grinned in spite of herself. She had said they shouldn't from the start. Miku hadn't listened to her. "…Next time, pick a better time for this." She offered, her tone a little teasing. Miku threw her a very dirty look and Luka couldn't help but laugh. She motioned to the door. "They're waiting for you."

Miku left her to recover alone in the changing room, while she had to endure her hormones through her fitting.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The young woman finished packing her bag for the night she'd spend over at her parent's house. Luka would be getting her quite early the next morning and she was both excited and anxious. She looked over at Miki. The redhead had decided to keep her company as she packed her things, but she really did nothing but occupy Miku's bed, playing her PSP. Miku sighed. Without a word, she exited her room and walked to the door. She put her slippers on and walked to Lily's apartment, trying the door knob. It being unlocked meant she was home and Miku let herself in unannounced. Since the blond wasn't in the living room, Miku made her way to her bedroom.

"Lily?" She knocked on the open door of her room to make her presence known.

Lily looked like she had been sleeping, there wasn't much light in the room. "What're you doin' here?"

"I need to talk to you." Miku scrunched her nose. It reeked of smoke inside her room. It was a little odd, because Lily usually would open the window when she'd smoke.

"Can't talk, sort of busy." The blond mumbled, her voice gooey. She didn't turn to her, but instead lied limply on her bed.

"Right." Miku stood by the doorway. "We haven't seen you around these days." She started.

"…'been sort of busy." Her voice sounded weird to Miku.

"As busy as you are now?" She raised one eyebrow, unimpressed.

Lily coughed and cleared her voice. "Exactly."

Miku found it a bit irritating. "Will you be as busy when Meiko-san comes to get you for your binge-drinking-Friday-night-out?" She threw her, knowing the blond never passed up on their usual party night.

"Meiko's not coming today." She casually answered. "…'prolly won't ever be coming again."

She blanked out for a second, then she put two and two together. She understood that on the evening Meiko drove her home, they had probably decided to end it. "…I'm sorry, I didn't know." Her mood instantly turned from irritation to concern. Only now did Miku seem to notice the few dozen of beer cans littering the floor. She could also count five empty glass bottles of what probably had been tequila or sake. Miku understood why she thought Lily sounded weird. "…you're drunk?"

She stayed completely immobile. "Sort of."

Miku stepped closer, kicking a few cans out of her way to get to her bed. "Have you been drinking _all week_?" She worriedly asked.

The blond groaned. "Go away."

"Are you…grieving?" She sat by her.

Lily rolled her eyes and turned her back to her.

She stared at her back and found herself suddenly very sad. "…You're heartbroken?" She quietly asked.

"No 'm not." She snarled, irritated.

Miku ignored it. "…I'm really sorry, I didn't know you cared this much for Meiko-san."

She turned suddenly to her, sitting up. "I'm _not_heartbroken, Miku! I wasn't in love with 'er!"

The young woman didn't falter. She didn't bat an eyelash. "Then what's all this?" She motioned to the chaos reigning around them.

Lily pursed her lips, and looked down, thinking. She sighed, and her voice was careful, but a bit gentler. "Look, I…I…ok, I somewhat need to get over it. I wasn't prepared when it happened. Just…just lemme get hammered in peace…I'll be back to normal next week." She let herself fall back down on her bed.

Miku was apprehensive, afraid she might really poison herself with alcohol this time around. "…Are you sure that's the best?"

Lily nodded, staring emptily at the ceiling. "Positive."

She observed her features. Lily's eyes weren't red, it didn't look like she had been crying. "…But aren't you just numbing the pain and burying it without dealing with it?" She whispered.

She brought a hand to her face, dragging it down slowly and stretching her features for a second. "I don't have pain to-… … ….well not so much to deal with, it's just hard to swallow. I was…used to being with her, it went on for over six months, 'n I was comfortable. Now there's a huge, empty gap." She explained before she rolled over and reached for a bottle she had set down next to her bed.

Miku bit her tongue to reprimand her on her drinking any more. "…I see." She averted her eyes as the blond took a long gulp of the bottle.

There was a short silence, and Lily rested the bottle back down. "Why're you here?" She coughed.

"Oh!" Miku came back to her senses in a second, and she met her gaze again. "I…wanted to let you know I'm going back to my parent's house tomorrow morning. With Luka."

"Already introducing her, are you?" The tall woman commented as she lied back down.

Miku blushed slightly. "…we want to take care of that before we release the single…or at least before we get busted. Plus, it might not have been long since we got together, but I've loved her for a while now." She quietly explained. "And you know…Luka's… I…think Luka's… …" She trailed off, thinking Lily would laugh at her.

"…You can say it. 'S not like I don't know what you're thinking." She grumbled. "You think she's your soul mate."

"Why do you sound…resenting?" She pouted.

"…'cause I wish I had it like you do." The blond honestly answered. But she still looked exasperated.

Miku's lips stayed pursed, she frowned. "…We suffered a lot, you know."

Lily shrugged. "…Yeah, but I'd willingly suffer any pain to get to what you have now." She detached her eyes from the ceiling to observe her in silence. "Wouldn't you redo it all over again, and even suffer worse if you knew it was to get this?" Her voice was much softer.

"…" Her features relaxed. "I would." Miku quietly said, nodding.

They both reflected on this, immobile for a minute. Lily then rolled over and took another gulp of her drink. "But why do you need to tell me you're going home?"

Miku's eyes stayed on hers. "…Miki'll be alone." She warily said.

"…" Lily rested her drink down.

"And you know she's sort of…scared to be alone." Miku added.

She stared at her in silence for a long minute. "…So what do you want me to do?" She carefully asked.

The young woman sighed deeply and broke eye contact. "…I don't know. I expect that she won't quietly sleep the night alone at our place but…I…I…don't know." She shook her head dejectedly.

"I can promise I won't chase her…" Lily offered. "But…I can't guarantee anything if she comes to me." She added, very straightforward.

She cringed. "…But…" Miku turned to her again. "….you know, I…Miki's my best friend. I really…I wish…really…" She incoherently started to explain.

Her expression was dour. "It's fine, Miku, I know you want what's best for her. And I know I'm not that. I don't feel insulted." She too easily said.

"That's not what I meant." The young woman immediately snapped.

The blond frowned, a bit surprised. "Then what?"

She planted her teal-painted index on the older woman's forehead. "…you might not be the best role model, but you're still a good person, and you have a lot of redeeming qualities." She declared before she removed her finger. Miku then observed her for a second before she opened her mouth again, her voice softer this time around. "You've been there for me a lot these last few months, and I honestly don't know what I would've done without you." She added. "So if you're serious about Miki, then I don't think there's anyone else I'd rather see her with." She searched her eyes, but Miku never was able to read beyond the icy blue. "Just…don't play around with her." She pleaded.

"But I'm not." She answered.

"I mean physically too." Miku specified.

Lily seemed at loss and slightly guilty. "…"

Her teal eyes were statically set on hers and Miku was immobile. "Give her all or nothing…don't give her a taste of what she won't get if you don't intend to be serious with her." She requested.

"I already gave her that though." Lily sighed.

"Well you shouldn't do it again." Miku countered, knowing it might happen on the night she would be away.

She frowned. "Why? What difference would it make, once, twice or a dozen of times?"

Miku clutched her hands in fists. "She won't understand! If you keep…being intimate with her, Miki won't understand if in the end you don't want her! You'd destroy her!" She glared at her, angry and worried.

Her eyes were wide at the young woman's outburst and Lily gulped before she slowly nodded. "…Okay, I get it." She decided to at least try her best at what Miku was asking of her.

**- continued in ch.13**


	13. Chapter 13

**Well, I need to apologize. It's been a month almost day for day; I never expected I'd take such a long time to update. Buuuut, if I may offer some excuse, as I've mentioned, I'm building a cosplay for a con and it pretty much ate away at my time. Otakon is on the 28****th****, and I only have a few days left. I'll stop writing until I'm back home from it (august 2****nd****), and then I'll pick up writing again. I'm explaining because with me not writing for the next 10 days, it'll probably be three weeks before I'm able to update again OTL**

**So anyways! Thank you for all your reviews, I do re-re-read the reviews when I feel I'm losing steam. Thank you for not complaining too much about the lack of update, thank you for reading up 'til here!  
**

Miku finished tying her hair up and turned to her roommate. "We need to talk." Luka would be there to get her in ten to fifteen minutes, and Miku decided she really couldn't leave Miki alone without at least a word on this tricky subject that had been bothering her.

The shorter girl blinked. "What about?"

She sighed deeply, putting away her brush as well as the rest of her hair accessories in a small pouch, which she in turn put away in her bag. "…About Lily. Since I won't be home tonight I thin-"

"I don't care that she doesn't love me." Miki cut in, her expression completely blank.

Miku didn't expect her to be so straightforward or categorical. She was extremely taken aback. "…"

She noticed her friend's shock and her expression turned a bit into something gentler. Her voice was also softer this time around. "…I'm okay with things as they are. I don't want to ask her to try to be 'good' and I don't want her to stop 'cause it'd be 'unfair' for me. Because she doesn't love me. Because she's w-with…Mei-nee-san. Don't give me all that, 'cause I know." Her deep red eyes fixated on the floor. "I…chose to accept what I can have, even if it hurts."

Miku's eyes dropped too, seemingly interested in the same invisible spot Miki was staring at. She didn't know what to say.

The redhead tugged at the edge of her own short shorts, uneasy. "…Mei-nee-san is also dating Kaito-san, isn't she? So why couldn't Lily date both me and her?" Her cute voice was very dissonant with the proposition.

Miku glanced up. "…it's over. It's over with Meiko-san."

Miki met her eyes immediately, both stunned and incredulous. "…"

"But it doesn't mean she's suddenly in love with you, you know?" The teal haired young woman immediately added.

"…I know." Miki quietly said as she gave a nod. "…but I told you, I don't care if she doesn't love me."

Miku wordlessly stared at her best friend's features. She could see the pain that lay beyond her obstinate stare. But even if she could read Miki's expressions so very well, she didn't need to do so to understand what lay beyond her words. "…But you do…" She stood and pulled her into a gentle hug. "…You want Lily to love you just as much as you love her…you're just saying you don't care because you'd rather have some part, any part of her rather than nothing at all…" As she rationalized, she couldn't help but be reminded of how dear the pink butterfly jewellery had been to her when Luka had tried to keep them apart. It had been the only part of Luka she had, and she had treasured it as the most precious of her possessions. "I understand how you feel." She sighed softly, resting her head on her shoulder. "…You intend on going to see Lily tonight, don't you?"

Miki nodded. "…yeah."

She knew her roommate was afraid to be completely alone, and she knew it was futile to tell her to stay home by herself. So even if she really didn't count on it, Miku still tried for another option. "…You wouldn't listen to me if I told you to ask Gumi to sleep over instead, would you?"

She shook her head in an almost imperceptible movement. "I wouldn't. I…want to be with Lily."

Miku wasn't surprised. "…Okay." She released her, accepting her answer.

The other young woman blinked a few times. "You're not mad?"

She smiled dejectedly, patting her red hair. "…of course I'm a bit mad, I don't want to see you hurt." She sighed again. "But you know, I'd do the same if it was Luka, so I can't blame you." Her small smile grew slightly, and Miki grinned back at her. Miku shook her head and brought her light luggage by the entrance; as if on cue, the doorbell rang. She opened the front door immediately.

Luka smiled at her. "Good morning…! Are you ready to go?"

Miku pulled her inside and closed the door behind them so they wouldn't be seen as she kissed Luka. "Good morning… I'm pretty much ready yeah…" She kissed her again and she felt hands lightly caress her lower back. This trivial touch had Miku shivering and she fidgeted against her. Luka looked puzzled, so the young woman offered a simple explanation "…I'm still wound up from yesterday… the changing room…"

Her eyes were wide in amazement. "…Still?" She blinked.

"…I'll have you remember that I didn't get _my_…" She trailed off, pouting a little.

The tall woman held back on laughing, knowing Miku really wasn't finding the situation funny. "I remember."

She took both of her lover's hands in hers, her expression faintly darkened by a mix of pain and misery.

Luka knew it wasn't entirely genuine, but it still got to her. "…Brighten up, Miku…it's just today…Afterwards, we'll not only have all night to enjoy each other, we won't ever have to try and hide again. You'll be welcomed to stay over at my place as often as you wish." She said to comfort her, and it managed to make Miku smile. "But…I have to admit…" Luka then bent very slightly to whisper in her ear. "I've been burning to touch you again…I won't let you rest much tonight." Her tone was very mischievous.

The suggestion made her shiver for a second time. "I really can't wait…" Miku murmured before she kissed her again, much more heatedly.

"Woah, at it so early in the morning?" Miki's lively voice interrupted them.

Miku immediately released Luka and backed two steps, her cheeks burning a dark red. She threw Miki a glare. "Don't sneak up on us like that…"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"…I'm home." Miku called meekly as she let herself in her parents' house. Her mother immediately appeared at the end of the hall. The short woman was just a little smaller than her daughter, and her pale green hair was tied in a lose bun. She didn't look very old, and Luka thought she probably gave birth to Miku quite young. From her get-up, it was obvious she had been doing some chores, cleaning up.

"Sweetie, you're early! The train wasn't sup-" She stopped right in her track as her eyes met Luka's. The pink haired woman politely (and quite nervously) bowed her head. With all the rumors flying about them, one didn't need to be a genius to understand why Miku had brought the woman along. Her mother's alarmed gaze turned to Miku again.

Miku couldn't bring herself to meet her mother's gaze, her heart beat hard. Her eyes were glued to the floor and she felt cold sweat run down her back. Her body felt heavy and her fingers numbingly cold. Though her mouth was dry, she managed to at last utter something. "…Mom, I… …" Miku gestured nervously to the taller woman standing next to her. "I t-think I don't need to introduce her b-but…but…this is Megurine Luka…"

There was a very long silence and the older woman detached her eyes from her daughter's. She met Luka's similarly colored ones for a fleeting moment, before she looked back at Miku. "I know who she is." She murmured in disbelief. Then she seemed to realize her reaction was very impolite because she looked over at Luka again and bowed slightly too. "I'm sorry Megurine-san, but…" She glanced at Miku again, looking for answers. "…sweetie…?"

Miku felt her mother's stare on her and she wondered if her heart would tear out of her chest from how violently it was beating. "…Is dad home?" She quietly breathed out, finally glancing up at her mother. "…It's kinda important that…" She took a deep breath. "…we…have t-to…sit down and talk." She finished even more quietly.

Her mother glanced over at Luka again, her expression turning to something that looked like but wasn't quite worry.  
Miku was positive she understood what had to be talked about.

"I'll…go get him." The woman mechanically climbed the stairs at an incredibly fast pace to get her husband. There was suddenly a lot of noise upstairs.

Miku grabbed onto Luka's arm tightly. "…I think I'm having a heart attack, Luka…!" She put her hand to her chest, breathing hard.

Luka peeled her hand off her arm to embrace her. She could feel the younger woman shaking, clearly terrorized. "Calm down…" She soothingly said. "You'll be fine. We'll be fine." She then whispered, kissing her temple before she rested her cheek against her head. She felt a shuddering breath escape Miku and she gradually stopped shaking. "…Your mother understood already…" Luka quietly confirmed what the young woman had believed.

Her eyes closed, enveloped in Luka's warmth, Miku was slowly getting a hold of herself. "She did, huh? I thought so too." She murmured. She slowly inhaled her lover's scent to calm her nerves. The tenderness in the way Luka embraced her reminded her how right she felt in her arms, it gave her a renewed strength.

The pink haired woman combed the teal hair with her fingers very slowly. "It didn't look like she was actually upset…" She commented encouragingly.

Miku clutched at the back of the other woman's blouse. It was the same light pink one she had been wearing the first time Miku had come over at her place, the day Luka understood Miku was in love with her. The young woman pushed her face into her lover's ample chest. "But she really… really, looked really…shaken." Her voice was muffled.

"You can't expect her not to be." Luka reasoned, letting her fingers trail down to her shoulder to massage them slightly, relaxing her further.

Miku sighed as she felt some tension leave her body. "…Yeah, you're right." She whispered, deeply inhaling her scent one last time before she looked up at her. "…I still need to _say_ it." She added, knowing that Luka's presence here and now, even if it already made everything clear, wasn't enough. And though they made it this far, Miku was still sickly worried about uttering those words. She didn't even know how she should phrase it for her parents.

Luka could see the fear and indecisiveness in the shorter woman's eyes, and she ran her fingers through the teal bangs before she cupped her cheek gently. "Do you want me to tell them?"

She shook her head slowly, still taking deep breathes. "No, I have to be the one." Miku released her and straightened her clothes. She glanced up the staircase into what disappeared into the second floor, worried and fearful. She felt Luka take her hand and she looked back at her again. Her even features made Miku's mind turn, suddenly scared Luka would misinterpret her apprehension to tell her parents. "…I'm not ashamed of you, you know?" She squeezed her hand.

"…"The taller woman didn't expect this, and her features softened. "Don't worry, I know." She kissed her temple lovingly. "This is hard, I understand. It's only natural you would be scared…so don't worry about me. I'll stand by you." She smiled.

"Thank you…" Miku leaned for a soft, lingering kiss, her heart having warmed. She then led her to the living room, sitting down together as they waited for Miku's parents to join them. The racket upstairs came to a stop and Miku's heart seemed to stop with it. She heard steps coming down the stairs and released Luka's hand. Her parents made their way to the living room and sat in front of them, both of them looking very anxious. Miku noticed they had cleaned themselves up; she guessed it was because of Luka. Her mother had changed to proper clothes and re-did her hair in a very neat bun. She had put on light make-up. Her father was in a dress-shirt and his usually unruly dark teal hair was neatly flattened. He looked clean-shaved and his mustache tidily trimmed. Miku decided to take this as a good sign.

As neither of them seemed to know what to say or do, the pink haired woman cleared her voice and bowed politely. "I'm very sorry to have come unannounced." Her apology broke the ice.

Miku's father bowed too in an embarrassed reflex. "It's fine…" He laughed nervously.

Luka bowed lower. "I'm very pleased to meet you." Her voice was lovingly warm yet her tone was very respectful.

Miku's mother bowed repeatedly in small movements, looking as nervous as the man sitting by her side. "S-so are we!" She stuttered.

It was obvious why Luka came all the way here with Miku, especially with the way the young woman had summoned her parents for a discussion. Miku knew they already understood what her relationship was with the gorgeous woman sitting by her side, and as she watched the three of them bow politely to each other, exchanging formal and reverent greetings as they did so, Miku thought to herself that things might go much more smoothly than she had expected. She cleared her throat, interrupting their little circus. "Mom, Dad…"

Dead silence.

Miku wished she had let them continue the small talk.

She took a deep breath and set her eyes on her parents. The both of them had straightened themselves and were staring at her. Miku looked back down at the floor. "I think…er…I think you both got it but I…" Her breath caught in her throat. She closed her eyes and could feel her heart beat loudly in her head.  
"…" She really wondered why it was so hard to say when it was already obvious. She collected herself for the hundredth time and opened her eyes again. "…Luka and I…" She started, but remembered what Gumi had gathered when she had phrased it as them being lovers. "…Luka is…" She trailed off again, thinking using the word girlfriend didn't sound serious enough.  
"…We're…we…" She clenched both hands and exhaled fearfully. She felt Luka's hand on hers, and she instantly sensed both her parent's stares on their entwined fingers. Miku still drew strength from the contact, and she squeezed her hand slightly. "…what's being said a-about us…is… is…it's not…just to promote our single…" She finally stammered, in a quiet voice. "…I-…I'm really…in love with her." She added, now watching her parents expectantly.

Neither of them moved.  
Then.  
"I knew it." Her mother quietly said. She scowled and swatted the man sitting by her side. "I told you so!"  
He rubbed his arm, mouthing 'ouch'.

Miku nearly lost it. "…_What_." She stared at her mother in incredulous shock, her eyes round and her jaw slack.

The woman gave a single, vigorous and very convinced nod. "From the way you looked at her in the pictures, I thought so!" She stared back at her daughter.

"… …You knew?" Miku whispered. "…you…_knew_?"

She scoffed. "I'm your mother, I know these things!"

Miku closed her mouth, dropping her eyes to the wooden floor. This was pretty much the only scenario she didn't envision. After a moment, she glanced at her lover. She knew she was the only one who could tell what lay behind her cool mask; Luka's very composed, impassive expression didn't hide the underlying relief and delight from Miku. She sighed softly and met her mother's eyes again. "…well? …What do you think?"

Her eyes left her daughter's and she scanned the pink haired woman up and down in silence before settling on her features. Luka silently stared back until the woman turned to her husband. "What do _you_ think?" She echoed Miku's question.

He considered silently a moment, then clasped both hands down in front of him, both his forearms resting on his lap. "…Megurine-san." His voice was very deep, completely different from his previous nervous laugh.

Miku looked over at Luka, as both her parents were staring at her. Luka was as collected as ever, but the young woman read nervousness in the way she held herself; her posture appeared stiff in Miku's eyes. Her voice was also too even as she answered Miku's father. "Yes?"

He carefully scrutinized her. "How much do you love our daughter?" He solemnly asked.

Luka answered straightaway. "More than my own life." She stared right back into his deep blue eyes, dead serious.

His features softened. "She's our only child." He still insisted a little worriedly. "She's all the more precious to us. And even in these modern times, this…_lifestyle_ is frowned upon, dangerous even." He explained.

Miku felt her hand tense in hers, and she noticed Luka's other hand very slowly tightening into a fist, clutching faintly at the fabric of her skirt. She knew this was a very sensitive topic for Luka, and Miku was scared she would back down or crumble even though she had promised her she wouldn't let her fight alone anymore. Miku knew the tall woman sitting by her side didn't want to be the reason for family problems, and she understood it probably made the two people sitting in front of them the two hardest to oppose. But even if Luka didn't have the strength to stand and fight, to put her foot down and tell Miku's parents she wouldn't go away, Miku would never back down.

The tall woman exhaled soundlessly. "I'm aware of this." She lowered her head slightly, but kept eye contact with him. "Nevertheless, I…profoundly believe no one on this earth is better suited for her than I am." She declared, the tone of her voice growing steadily more convinced and affirmative as she talked. Miku was amazed; she stared at her, her heart beating a little faster.  
Luka couldn't be more serious as she talked. "Miku has told me she wasn't whole without me, and I…am exactly as she is. I need her. I _truly–need-_ her by my side." Her clear, sincere eyes searched his dark, unreadable ones. "I swear I will love her unconditionally, cherish her more than anyone else ever could and protect her with my life if need be. I swear I will do so no matter what is brought our way; joy, sorrow, sickness, health, acceptance…condemnation…" Luka bowed deeply again. "Please have faith in me." She requested. "Please…entrust her to me." She pleaded a little more quietly.

Miku had the strong impression Luka had just asked her father for her hand in marriage. Her heart was beating furiously in her chest and she felt her whole body blush. She wondered how the other woman could spontaneously come up with such an embarrassingly romantic speech and just boldly spout it out like that. It also made her ponder how great her wedding vows would sound if they ever decided to get married.

Both Miku's parents were completely stunned with what had just been said. Her father was the first one to move, and he seemed to come out of some sort of daze, shaking his head slightly. He turned to his wife. "I like her." He simply murmured.

The woman nodded, still recovering. "So do I."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

After a pleasant dinner and evening, Miku prepared the bath. She and Luka had agreed not to bathe together, as it was still quite a delicate situation. The teal haired young woman would usually have taken her bath with a girl friend sleeping over, but her _girlfriend_ was a completely different story. She knew her parents would be uncomfortable with the knowledge of her naked together with her lover in a locked room…and she would embarrassingly acknowledge they had every reason to be. Miku knew even with her parents there, she wouldn't be able to resist Luka's naked body, especially with the way she had been craving her touch since the changing room episode.  
So…she let Luka go first, being a guest, and made her way down to the living room again. There were still things she wanted to talk over with their parents, and she knew some part of the conversation had to be done without Luka. She sat with her father and he instantly turned the TV off.  
Miku observed him, and she found herself nervous and apprehensive again. She had forgotten what she wanted to say and how she wanted to start.

After a moment, he sighed. "I didn't believe your mother." He started for her, throwing a fleeting, embarrassed glance her way. "…I never would have guessed you were…a…" He coughed. "…what's the inoffensive word?"

Miku's expression was blank. "I'm not." She flatly said.

He frowned, turning to stare at her. "…"

She sighed. "…It might be hard to understand, but I'm not. It's just…I…I've never been attracted to anyone else like I am to her."

"… …" He was very skeptical. "…You're not?"

"…No, I'm not." She patiently repeated.

"…But you're in love with another woman." He confirmed.

Miku nodded slowly. "…Quite obviously, I wouldn't have brought her here otherwise." She remarked.

Her father looked even less convinced. It really didn't make sense to him, and so the idea that she might not understand her feelings crossed his mind. Carefully, he edged closer. "…Have you…?"

She blinked. "What?"

"…Well." He coughed again, embarrassed. "…_have you_?"

As realization dawned on her, her features turned to horror. "Oh God, Dad, you're not asking this." She disbelievingly muttered.

"I'm worried, that's all!" He immediately defended himself. "Are you _sure_ you're not confusing things? You might love her a lot, but without this type of desires, it's still not…well, _Love_."

"…" This? _Again_? Why must everyone think she was confused? Her feelings weren't confusing in the least! Miku sighed deeply, looking down at her feet. She fiddled with her fingers; her cheeks started burning just thinking of discussing this with her father. She had been spared the 'how babies are made' and the 'why safe sex is important' conversations; she had thought she had escaped this subject altogether.  
Finally she gave in. "…w-we have, ok?" She admitted "A-and even though we're both women, and I…never thought I would…d-do…t-that with another woman… …I h-haven't had any problem with…" She trailed off, exhaling nervously. She then took in a deep breath. "In fact, I really- …" She stopped, censoring herself. She really couldn't bring herself to tell her father, of all people, that she _very much enjoyed_ being intimate with another woman. She sighed for the millionth time, her cheeks a dark red. "I do have this type of desires for her…I seriously do love her in a romantic way, Dad." She summed it up, making sure there was no misunderstanding. She raised her gaze meekly to meet his. "…Is it still ok with you?"

His features softened and he reached out for her shoulder, grabbing hold of it very gently. He gave a light squeeze. "…Of course my princess, I…just want what makes you happy. Megurine-san-"

"You can call her Luka." Miku cut in. She was certain Luka wouldn't mind, and thought it would be better to drop the formalities the sooner.

"…Luka-san seems like a very sweet girl. If she truly makes you happy, then the rest doesn't matter." He said, as softly as his deep, gruff voice allowed him. He then released her shoulder, and as he straightened himself, his features turned to relief, he smiled widely. "To tell the truth, I always feared the day my little princess would be dirtied by some clumsy lad…I think I can deal with this better." He laughed.

Miku's expression melted to a disbelieving stare. "…" She gaped at him in a way that would have been very rude, had he been a stranger. She searched for any hint of a bad joke, but her father looked genuinely relieved. "Oh wow, you're actually serious." She murmured, stunned.

He stared back. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Why she had to explain to him his train of thought was a little backwards, she didn't know. She pondered once again if he was being serious, but with no sign he would be messing around, she sighed. "…cause I…I don't know. I know fathers are sort of protective…and I…I don't know. That you'd feel protective if a guy was around me would be natural but… but to think you'd actually _feel better_ that I'm with a woman…"

He thought it over. "…Well I wouldn't approve of just any woman either." He then offered.

She raised her eyebrows. "…" Then a smile slowly stretched her features. "Luka is charming, isn't she?" She smugly said, very proud.

Her father chuckled, nodding. "That, she is."

Her mother chose that moment to join them, being done with cleaning up. "I agree, she's a lovely girl." She had brought tea along and as she sat next to Miku, she started pouring it. Miku motioned she didn't want any. "Polite and respectful…her parents raised her well." Her mother then commented as a follow-up.

She felt an unpleasant chill overcome her at the remark. Miku was grateful her mother hadn't brought the subject of Luka's parent's in the woman's presence. "…A-about that. It's sort of…I think…" She inhaled, looking at her mother. "Her father's in England, and from what I gathered, they get along fine but… her relationship with her mother is… …kind of…a touchy subject. It would be better not to bring it up."

She frowned. "She's in a fight with her mother?"

Miku shook her head. "…No it's…she …" She didn't want to explain. Just thinking about what Luka had retold upset her greatly, moreover, she didn't know if Luka wanted this story known. The young woman searched for the right way to put it, but there was only one way she could think of to make it short and to the point. "She…disowned her."

The wheels seemed to be turning in both her parent's heads and her father scooted closer, a bit indignant. "Because of you?"

She brought both hands in front of her, signaling in a negation gesture as she shook her head 'no' that it wasn't the case. "No, no I didn't meet…Luka's…" She dropped her hands to her lap, slowly, curling them into fists. "…it was before we even met. H-her mother…" She trailed off, distracted by how awfully wrong the word mother sounded. That woman had indeed given birth to Luka, but what truly earned a woman the right to be called a mother was that she loved and protected her children. The more she thought about it, the more it angered her, and she clenched her jaw very tight. "…to do something like that to her own daughter, she's… she doesn't deserve to be called her mother!"

Both were taken aback and a short silence followed her outburst. Miku made an effort to calm herself down, and her mother waited for her to do so before she tentatively inquired. "What happened?"

Miku's stare was very intently fixed on the ground. "I…I'll tell you s-some other time…" She whispered, thinking she would ask Luka if she could retell what happened before she did. "_That woman_ couldn't accept her." She added to explain in a few words, her voice dripping with pure hatred.

"She's…?" Her father looked surprised.

Miku blinked a few times, her mood swiftly changing back to normal. "Well…yeah." She wondered how her father had assumed that because she was in love with Luka without being a lesbian, it meant Luka was the same. It would have been quite exceptional if they both had been straight women falling in love with each other. But it made her wonder…if Luka really had been straight, would she have also fallen in love with her? Or…since she had fallen in love with Luka even with both of them being women…would Luka have fallen in love with her had she been a boy?

Her father's voice interrupted her train of thought. "…I would have never thought." He mouthed. "She doesn't look like she'd be."

"…" Miku decided to let the comment slide. Everyone was surprised with this info, and she didn't want to react to it every time. She knew the stereotypes and she knew Luka was nowhere close to it.

"…You look more like you'd be." He then added.

She blushed, her eyes widening. "What's that supposed to mean!" She immediately retorted. It isn't that it bothered her much, but to hear her father say something like that was embarrassing to say the least.

He defensively raised his hands in front of him. "Just that between the two of you, if anyone had to point one of you two as…well I'm pretty sure most people would-"

Her mother interrupted them, her eyes on her husband. "Miku's not…?"

Her cheeks reddened even more. "No! I'm not!" Even knowing her mother had missed that part of the conversation, she couldn't help her agitation.

She turned to her daughter. "She seduced you, then?"

Miku's mind seemed to pause for a second; she froze. She then carefully folded her hands on her lap, back to a more rational state. "…I wouldn't say that, since she never tried to…she never did anything special for me fall in love with her." She explained reflectively. Of what she could recall, Luka had never truly made a move. "I just…I love her for everything she is, just the way she is. With all her virtues and all her flaws." Miku then commented, smiling to herself. "…She's hard-headed and insecure." She added before either of her parents had the time to inquire further. She knew they would be curious about what flaws a woman in appearance so perfect had. Seeing the skeptical look on both their faces, she added a short explanation. "She makes sure all the time, and even if I say it's fine, she'll still be hesitant."  
Even if instances like this were occurring less and less, it still somewhat saddened Miku to know that Luka was still, at the back of her mind, nourishing the idea that she might not be able to give Miku what she desired. That she wasn't what she needed or that she might not be enough for Miku. She truly wished Luka would let go and stop being fearful... Even though…Miku had to admit she found it a little cute that she was hesitant; it didn't match her collected and mature looks at all.  
So in the end, Luka's insecurity evoked mixed feelings in Miku, but as it occurred less and less, and as Miku understood it would completely disappear over time, she wasn't very worried about it. She was more inclined to find it adorable.

Miku hadn't noticed how her short, ambiguous explanation had only confused her interlocutors further. "Like what? I'm not sure I understand." The man was frowning as he distractedly turned his tea cup in his hands.

The young woman blushed very slightly and she coughed. "…L-like when we…first…kissed. I h-had to ask her. And…she wouldn't do it right away…I had to…push f-for it." She explained vaguely. There was no way she would give any other example. Like when Luka wouldn't let her remove her bra, that time she had understood Miku's feelings. Or when she was completely stunned Miku wanted to go down on her. "I know some of that is her being considerate, but…I think…that because of _that woman_…she's been…" Miku searched for the right word, trying to keep her emotions in check. "I think she's been…traumatized." She exhaled. She would have been too if a member of her family, no, if _anyone_ had done something so horrific to her. She was incredibly grateful for her own circumstances. "…I'm really happy you two took all this really well." She whispered at her parents.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"…I'm glad things went so smoothly." Luka sat on Miku's bed, and the young woman immediately rolled over to her. Both were in nightwear; Luka in another one of those silk and lace, clingy, short and incredibly flattering nightgowns she owned, and Miku in a white wife-beater and teal boy-shorts.

"Smoothly…yeah." She grabbed her arm gently and tugged until Luka moved to lie down with her, she then climbed on top of her. "It did." Miku kissed her cheek very softly, and her lips followed the line of her jaw.

Luka caressed her very long, teal hair. She moved her legs against Miku's likewise naked ones; the silky feeling of their skin brushing together had her shiver. Miku's lips on her neck had her close her eyes. She sighed contently. "Your parents are great people." She whispered, her hands dropping to her back to hug her closely.

Miku stopped her attentions. "…I'm sorry." She clutched her back, just as tight.

Luka's eyes snapped open with surprise. "What for?"

"…'cause…I mean…I was really lucky." She raised her head enough to look at her. "I wish…you had the same luck…" She whispered bitterly, her eyes watering. She shut them tight, trying to control herself, but the tears still fell down her cheeks. When with her parents, Miku had suppressed her feelings enough to focus only on the hate she felt for that woman, but faced with Luka, she was feeling much more distress than hate. It upset her so much she couldn't repress it again.

"…" Luka tried to wipe her eyes for her but it was getting a bit out of hand, these weren't a few lone tears. "…Don't cry, Miku…!" She sadly whispered as she tightened her arms around her. "I'm fine now…" She shushed.

Miku nodded, burying her face in her neck. "I know…" She sniffled, but she was losing control. "It's just…I wish there was something I could d-do… I…wish I c-could take it all away! I-I wish s-she had never h-hurt you…I wish I c-could've protected you…" She blubbered a bit disjointedly. On the day Luka had opened herself up and told her what had happened, Miku had been at a loss of words and she had only been able to hold her, trying her best to be strong for her. Even if she had wanted to tell her all this, it wouldn't have been appropriate because at that moment they weren't lovers. At that point, it would have hurt Luka to hear her say all this.

She waited for her to calm down a bit, holding her very tenderly. With her cheek resting against the younger woman's head, she had closed her eyes. "…you know…Miku…I believe everything happens for a reason." Luka started, her voice nothing more than a whisper. "…I don't believe I would have lived with my father if my mother hadn't… …a-and I don't believe I would have been recruited by Crypton had I not been to England…" She explained, and she didn't have to continue for Miku to understand where she was heading with this, but still, she continued. "I don't believe we would have met if not for working together…" She tightened her grip on her and very gently kissed her temple. "In brief…if living through this horror was an obstacle destiny set in my way, if this was a condition for me to meet you, if it had to happen for me to get to this happiness…I would willingly relive it all over again. As many times as I need to." She finished.

The young woman pulled away enough to look at her, and Luka met her gaze with an exceptionally sincere and unwavering one. Miku managed a smile. "You're crazy." She sniveled, drying her eyes.

"No." Luka kissed her very lovingly. "It's just that I love you."

Miku kissed her again, but with such need, it overwhelmed the other woman. She was still lying on top of Luka, and it was easy for her to gradually shift her position to entwine her legs with hers. Luka moved with her and pressed her thigh to Miku's most sensitive area, so the young woman settled the same way between Luka's legs. They were lying comfortably as they kissed, and the pressure Miku felt, she also returned, pushing with her leg. She sensed Luka start to breathe harder, and her hands caressed her back slowly. The heat was picking up; Miku pushed faintly with her hips to increase the pressure she felt. She broke the kiss to go down her neck, one of her hands slowly caressing Luka's body through the light fabric of her nightgown.

"Miku, we should wait…until we-" Luka stifled a moan as the young woman bit lightly on a soft spot she found on her neck. "...We should wait until it's night…" She still finished.

"It's fine, my parents should be getting to bed already." She whispered, her wandering fingers finding the edge of the nightgown and crawling her hand underneath to caress her stomach up to her chest. "I need you so terribly…" She moved back up to kiss her hungrily, pushing her deeper into the mattress, squeezing her breast. "Touch me…" She requested, her lips going to her neck again. "…Love me…" She implored in a much softer voice. She felt Luka's hands on her back find the edge of her top, and she started to pull it up. Her fingers ran on her skin, up her sides and to her small breasts. Miku smiled as she moved up to kiss her again; Luka had succumbed.

"Sweetie, I thoughtOHMYG-" The woman had exited as promptly as she had entered, leaving the door open.

"Mom!" She sat up, getting off the other woman in a second, pulling her shirt down. "Would you knock?" She embarrassedly yelled as Luka sat up too, straightening her nightwear and hair quickly.

Her voice came from the empty doorway as she hid in the hall. "I-I just thought-"

"You can come in now." Miku cut in, since the both of them were decent. Her cheeks were flushed, but it didn't compare to Luka's condition. Her whole face was a dark red, and with her arms crossed over her chest to hide herself, she stared at the ground.

Miku's mother took a hesitant peek in the room before showing herself completely. "…I just thought we should bring over a futon and…extra bed sheets." She awkwardly said as she presented the stack of bedding she held.

Her embarrassment melted off her features to be replaced by a serious stare. "…Luka's sleeping in my bed, Mom. With me." Miku answered, her tone offering no compromise.

Luka turned to her, still mortifyingly discomfited. "Miku…maybe tonight is better if we-"

"No! We already didn't bathe together so they wouldn't be awkward! We would've had we been at my apartment or at your place!" She knew she sounded a bit like a child throwing a tantrum, but she couldn't help herself. This felt like her mother was treating Luka more like one of her friends than her lover, and though she was very grateful both her parents had been quite accepting, she absolutely didn't want them to think it was just a phase she was going through. She also didn't want Luka to bear with all this only to end up reinforcing their idea that it wasn't serious. "We would also be sharing a bed!" Miku still added.

Luka bit her lip a second. "Miku, I think your parents would be uncomfortable knowing we _could_ be…well…" She couldn't bring herself to finish her sentence in front of Miku's mother.

"…making love?" The young woman completed for her. "…You know, I know and now my mom also knows we not only could be, we _will_ be. It's what two people do when they love each other… What's the big deal?"

She smiled very softly, her eyes yearning. "…I think it might be awkward for them" She still tried to reason her, and reached to comb Miku's bangs out of her eyes. Her fingers went through the soft teal hair in a very gentle movement.

"…I don't care…! I don't want this distance between us, especially not somewhere where we're supposed to be safe! Even if we hadn't decided to tell everyone, at least here should be one of the few places we can be ourselves!" She searched her eyes. Luka nodded in acceptance and took her hand in hers. Miku closed her eyes and took a deep breath, drawing strength from the contact. She then looked over at her mother. "…This is how it is. If you insist on separate beds, I'll just move to hers when you leave us."

Her mother was clutching the beddings to herself. "It's fine, sweetie…" She offered her a small smile. "I'm sorry…Good night." She added before she left them alone, closing the door as she exited.

Miku waited about ten seconds in silence before she turned to the other woman, smiling. "We can resume."

Luka couldn't believe it, she gaped at her. "…We'll wait." She countered.

"…" Miku pouted.

She sighed, unable to understand how she could shamelessly just get back to it after not only having been caught by her mother but also knowing her parents were still awake in the next room. "…You have to learn to wait." She said, shaking her head.

Even knowing Luka was probably right, the young woman thought she had waited long enough already. So she still tried. "…Don't you want me?"

Her eyebrow twitched and she turned a bit away from her. "Don't try for a guilt trip." She advised her. "You _know_ there is nothing I want more than to make love to you. But it's unreasonable right now. So…behave." She replaced her nightgown, glancing again at her. Miku looked a bit downcast, so she leaned over, using one hand to support herself on the bed. "When I'm sure we won't be interrupted…" Her lips brushed against her ear, so close she was. "…I'll make you forget everything but me." She whispered hotly.

Miku's heart jumped in her chest. She nodded.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"…Lily?"

Hearing her voice, the blond told herself she should learn to lock the door, even if she's home. She dreaded being in Miki's presence, as she knew Miku was right and she shouldn't be alone with her until she had sorted herself out. But also, and mostly, she hated for others to see her in a distressed state. "…Go away" She threw in a hoarse voice, her throat having been sorely thrashed by the legal poisons she had abused this last week. She still heard footsteps approach her bed. She didn't turn to the redhead.

"I heard from Miku." She very quietly said, climbing on her bed. Lily was lying with her back turned to her, but the weight shift she felt on the bed and her presence in her personal space made her aware of how close she was now. There was a long silence in which Miki took in the surrounding chaos, and her eyes dropped back at the figure facing away from her. She noticed Lily's skin had greyed, most likely due to an unhealthy mix of too much tobacco, much too much alcohol and not opening her curtains to see the light of day in a week. Miki bit her lower lip in worry. "I don't like seeing you like this…" She whispered sadly.

"So go away." She monotonously countered, unmoving.

"No." Miki replied, inflexible.

She groaned and painfully pushed herself up in a sitting position. "I'll drop by your place in a few days, when I'm back to normal." Instead of turning to her, she reached for her almost empty twenty-four ounce vodka bottle.

Miki took her arm and stopped her before she touched the alcohol. "You had enough." She declared, but her voice didn't sound convinced and Lily could tell she was a bit scared.

She tried tugging her arm away in a gentle movement. "Let me go." Lily requested.

"No." Miki puffed her cheeks, tightening her grip.

"_Please_ let me go." She couldn't dull the irritated edge in her voice this time around, and she tugged harder. However, Miki wasn't as weak as her small body let on, her regular training with her track team had strengthened her remarkably. And with Lily's presently execrable condition, she essentially wasn't strong enough to tear away from her. "I said…let. GO." She growled in aggravation.

"No!" She closed in and wrapped her arms around her neck, locking her into a tight hug.

She sighed, exasperation quickly crumbling into a sorrowful tiredness. "Miki, stop it. Let go. Hugging me won't change a thing, so there's no point in-"

"There is!" She cut in. She buried her face in the blond hair, and though the smell of tobacco was overpowering, she still managed to find Lily's scent underneath. "People hug to share their feelings and to entrust them to each other." She explained. "So when it hurts, they share, and it isn't as heavy anymore for a single person!" Miki clutched her tighter.

"…" As she slowly brought her hands around her to return the embrace, Lily thought to herself that even if Miki's explanation was a bit childish and sketchy, she still liked the idea. Albeit a little clumsily, it summed up the need to hold and be held in times of sorrow quite eloquently. "…But won't it hurt you, if you take some of it?" She quietly countered, moving her fingers in the unruly red hair.

"…" Miki's hands slowly travelled down her back and she raised her head enough to meet her eyes. "I love you, Lily…" She said in no more than a breath. "I'll take everything of you, even your pain…even if it hurts me too…"

As her words sunk in, Lily realized she was holding her breath. She blinked several times to shake herself back; she found herself unsettled by this declaration and she was quite troubled it got to her this much. "…Honestly, when I hear stuff like that…it's like I don't know you." She whispered as she searched her deep red eyes.

Miki looked worried. "…It's bad?" She meekly questioned.

She shook her head no and managed a small smile, flattening the rebellious lock of red hair protruding out of her head as she started combing it again. "I like the bubble of energy you are, even when I thought that was all there was, but I also like that you're…unexpectedly strong."

Her features brightened considerably. "So are you falling in love with me yet?" The small redhead expectantly asked.

"I might be." The older woman casually answered.

She stuck herself closer, snuggling against her chest. "Tell me when you have." She requested.

Lily nodded, even knowing she couldn't see her movement. "I will."

The both of them stayed still, leaning into each other's embrace. In this long silence, Lily reflected that she might truly be falling in love. That it probably was indeed just a question of time before she couldn't do without the young woman tightly hanging on to her. She pulled her closer.

Miki opened her eyes when she felt the blond clutch her. She misinterpreted it as sadness, a need to be comforted. "…Can I stay over at your place tonight, Lily? I want to hold you until you sleep." She quietly asked.

She was very still, her eyes fixed on the bed sheets. "You mean you'd be staying in my bed with me? Overnight?" The blond clarified.

Miki moved her head slightly against her chest. "Well, yeah."

Lily waited another second. "Are you sure it's a good idea?" She wondered if Miki asked her this innocently, if she understood why Lily felt the need to confirm.

With her arms still around her, Miki played with the hem of the other woman's shirt. "Do you think we'd have sex?"

Ah. Well it seemed Miki was fully aware. "If you don't mind that I'm a bit drunk and reek of smoke…" The blond commented.

The short girl nodded slightly, her boisterous question mark lock brushed on the other woman's cheek as she did so. "I can deal with it."

Lily sighed. She somehow had wished Miki had been innocent, or that she would have minded, or any other reason that would have put up some sort of wall between them. She would have liked to have had a bit more time, and she would have liked to be able to tell Miku nothing happened. But unless Miki told her she didn't want to, Lily felt unable to stop herself; especially not when the young woman had made it clear that she _wanted_ it to happen. "…well then I'm pretty sure we would have sex." She ran her fingers in her hair.

Miki found her sighing and slight hesitation odd. "…You don't want to?" She raised her head from her chest to observe her features.

She shook her head and pulled her closer. "No, I really want to." She answered, pressing her forehead against Miki's temple. "…even if ends up not being what's right. There's also that…Miku will be mad at me." She added more quietly.

"Why?" Miki's voice had grown as quiet.

She weighed her words for a second. "I gotta admit I understand why…but she thinks it's uncalled for and she's scared I'll hurt you." Lily explained carefully.

The redhead pulled away from her once again to look at her. "Why would you hurt me?"

"Not on purpose, Miki." Lily pursed her lips slightly. "If I'm careless with…your feelings."

"…" Miki stared at her emptily.

It was the first time Lily saw this look from her; she decided right away she hated it. Miki was a lively and positive person, and these hollow eyes didn't suit her at all. Yet, Lily knew it was her own fault. "…I know I hurt you already." She offered, in no more than a whisper. "…but I meant…she's scared I'll hurt you more…"

She didn't move. "…I don't think you could hurt me even more." The gentleness in her voice mismatched her expression. She then flinched and her gaze dropped. "Nothing hurts more than you not loving me…"

The blond was shot through the heart and she felt as if there was a gaping hole in her chest. "Miki I-…" She was at loss for a second. "I'm sorry, I really am…you shouldn't have to go through this… and you deserve so much better than me…" She reached to take her hand in an uncharacteristically gentle movement. "You deserve someone who'll love you, who'll take care of you and who'll make a commitment to you." Lily murmured.

The young woman raised her gaze back up to meet hers. "…And you won't?"

She was reasonable enough not to make empty promises, even if the truth wasn't exactly what she wished to answer her. "…I…can… right now, I can take care of you."

Miki held her stare. She would take anything offered to her. "It's enough for me." She confirmed without hesitation.

"…"A little taken aback, she searched her dark red eyes. Lily found nothing undisclosed in them. No hidden fear, no uncertainty, only trust and hope, even if she felt she deserved neither. "…" She brought both hands to her cheeks and kissed her as a sincere, heartfelt response. Lily had the feeling she had been slumbering in a hollow, gray world for too long, and the very sweet taste of cherries that lingered on Miki's lips seemed to start her heart up again and bring her back to life. 

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Miku panted loudly, not even trying to remain silent anymore. In fact, she couldn't even remember she had to mind the noise. She was on her stomach and Luka had her pinned under her, lying on top of her. With her arm under Miku, she reached between her legs with her fingers. Her weight immobilized her, and Miku felt her chest pressing on her back, her breathing against her ear as she nibbled at it from time to time, her curves molding against her body, and her overpowering warmth and sweet perfume were driving her crazy. Miku wanted to return her caresses, she wanted to touch her body again, but this position, being trapped under her, had her completely at her mercy and unable to do anything but docilely endure Luka's every whim. And whims did she endure; Luka's fingers steadily were driving her close to the edge, then pulling back and teasing, making the pleasure last interminably in an almost cruel way.  
She gasped, feeling she was fumbling close to the edge yet again, but Luka seemed to be able to tell whenever she was close; she once more slowed her pace. Miku lost her momentum, and then she felt her fingers pushed hard and deep again, making her whimper. It was frustrating, but it felt so extremely good, and Miku had completely lost track of the time and of her surroundings. The young woman truly understood her lover's earlier words. She indeed was aware of nothing else but the woman pinning her to her bed. She could think of nothing else, no one else, she forgot even herself. Nothing but Luka mattered. She could feel the bed sheets had gotten stained so dripping wet she was; they stuck to her thighs and stomach, but she couldn't care less. All that mattered was the endless rollercoaster of pleasure her lover had her on. She could only complain when exhaustion was taking its toll on her; the other woman had brought her close to the edge too many times to try to count, yet she still relentlessly teased her. "…Luka, I-I…I can't t-take…anymore…!" She gasped, pleading to finally get release.

Luka gradually halted her movement. "Should I stop then?" She whispered, biting at her ear as she slowly, very, very slowly took out her fingers.

Miku's eyes widened. "…No!" She squirmed, trying to move her arms, wanting to guide Luka's hand back down. "Don't just stop!"

She trailed her fingers on her ass, gumming it with her own fluids. "You said you couldn't take anymore…" Luka casually answered, and the young woman could hear the smile in her voice.

"Don't tease me now!" She whined, desperate to feel her fingers inside her again. "Please, _please_!" Miku sounded ready to cry.

It got to her, so Luka moved her hand back under her. As much as she loved feeling how much Miku wanted her, as much as she loved feeling desired and as much as she loved feeling how much of an effect she had on her, it really wasn't like her to be so cruel. "I'm sorry." She apologized in a gentle voice before entering her again, moving her fingers quickly.

Miku clutched the bed sheets with both hands, moaning again. "I f-forgive you…" Her body burned and ached, her skin stuck to Luka's, her lungs couldn't seem to let enough air in. Her eyes rolled back and she felt her muscles tense already. Luka had been warming her up, stirring her, provoking her enough so that when she did finally decide to give her release, it would only take a small push, a short minute for Miku to lose it. She was shaken by a spasm and buried her face in the mattress. She then relaxed and turned her head back on the side to breathe. She felt water in her eyes, but she wasn't even sure herself if it was sweat or tears. "Oh my god…thank you…" She exhaled again, feeling the other woman pull her hand from under her and trail it against her back and rear.

Luka pushed against her, licked her skin, still breathed hard in her teal hair, obviously not ready to rest. "Miku…" She moaned softly, still pinning her down to the bed with the weight of her body. "You smell so good…you taste so good…" She mumbled, her lips exploring wherever she could on her back, shoulders and neck as she moved her hands between her own legs.

She felt her movement. "Luka…? Are you…?" But Miku didn't need her to answer; she felt the other woman's wrist move against her rear as she pleasured herself. To her great puzzlement, because she didn't believe she had any more reasons to be ashamed when it came to this aspect of their life, she still did feel embarrassed as she understood that the other woman was masturbating. For some reason, she felt hotter. She was also curious and excited. She considered letting her continue, but Miku still thought it wasn't fair to let her take care of herself. She tiredly tried to turn around under her. "Let me…" She whispered, but Luka didn't move off, and Miku's exhaustion prevented her from making the effort to turn the two of them around herself. She felt Luka's breath in her hair and her lips brushed against her ear as she moaned lowly. Miku shivered. "Luka…shouldn't I…?"

"It's f-fine…" Luka's movements were a bit more vigorous; she let her head drop again to rest on Miku's back. "My fingers were…deep inside you…" Her lips against her skin, she whispered more to herself that to Miku. But it made the young woman understand she enjoyed her fingers inside herself when they had still been soiled with Miku's stickiness.

She held her breath. Miku felt very awake again. She knew it had to do with how fascinated she was about what was literally going on behind her back. "…At least let me see." She pleaded in a whisper.

In compliance, Luka pushed herself up on her knees. The young woman turned around under her, to lie on her back instead. The darkness didn't prevent her to see her lover's body as she kneeled over her, but her hand covered her privates as she pumped her fingers. Their eyes met and Miku's breath caught in her throat. The downright savage look in her eyes was unlike any she'd seen yet and Miku was paralyzed for a moment, holding her stare. She felt like she was faced with a very hungry predator. Just thinking _she_ was what ignited such wild impulses within Luka, _she_ was what made Luka so crazy with desire…had Miku feel re- energized. She looked her body over again and couldn't resist it.  
"Luka, I want to." She sat up to kiss her stomach; Luka's free arm went around her shoulders to hold her close.

"I thought you were exhausted…" She panted very softly, despite how hard she was obviously burning. Miku's mouth worked up to her chest.

She sucked on her breasts, kissing her skin as she went from one to the other. "I'm fine." She could hear Luka's harsh breathing as she built up her climax, trying her best not to moan. She sensed Luka's body heat warm the air around them a bit more, sweat pearled down her skin. She could feel Luka's ferocious stare on her, devouring her with her eyes. Miku was absolutely electrified. She couldn't help the need to take over. She took Luka's wrist and removed her hand. She rubbed a second to wet her own fingers before she pushed them inside her, starting up quickly. Miku raised her head to meet her eyes.

"…" Luka cupped her cheek with her sticky hand and traced her lips with her thumb. Miku opened her mouth slightly and licked it, so Luka pushed it in her mouth. She sucked it clean, and felt Luka shiver at this. It took another second for Luka to take back her hand; she did so to wrap both arms around her and pulled Miku to her body. "Deeper, Miku." She instructed, meeting her movement as the young woman pumped her fingers. Miku obeyed, thrusting at a steady pace as Luka pushed her down gradually, now kneeling on all fours above her. "Harder…" She moaned very quietly, rocking her body over her.

Miku stopped for a second. She was already being quite rough with the other woman. "Harder…? I don't want to hurt you…" She whispered.

Her expression made it apparent she didn't like Miku halting her movement. "…I can handle it. It's what I need right now." She urged, pushing her body weight on Miku's hand. "I don't think it will, but in the event it hurts…I'll tell you…don't worry." Luka still whispered to reassure her.

She nodded and started up again, this time as she had been instructed to. Luka lowered herself more, and instead of sliding back down to be eye to eye with her, she moved up slightly. She held her weight up with her elbows so it would still be comfortable for Miku, but Luka's position had put her chest at face level. The message being quite clear, Miku readily dug in. She concentrated mostly on the tips, but she didn't hold back from leaving bruises everywhere. She didn't shy away from biting her flesh as she sucked, and Luka struggled in obstinate silence. She rammed her fingers inside her, and with her vigorous movement, Miku felt small drops land on her stomach from time to time. She wasn't surprised at all; with the way her fingers slickly slid in, she knew just how drenched the other woman was. She could feel the sticky fluids all over the palm of her hand too. She pushed as deep and as hard as she could, and Luka's body started to jerk with every thrust she gave.  
Luka clutched her and her irregular breathing was made completely erratic by almost inaudible gasps. Miku was impressed she still controlled herself enough to mind the noise. The young woman still sucked on her chest, and with a few more thrusts of her fingers, her lover curved her back with a spasm. The pink haired woman was curled on top of her, shaking all over and her face was buried in the pillow, above Miku's head. She heard a muffled moan as she relaxed. Luka then flopped down to the side, tiredly catching her breath, her eyes closed.

Miku observed her wordlessly and motionlessly for a moment. She then very carefully brought her clean hand to her face and removed some locks of pink hair stuck with sweat around her eyes, so Luka would be able to see her if she decided to open them. "…I didn't think I could be so forceful…so _brutal_ and you'd still like it…" She finally commented. She glanced at the clock. It read three thirty, and she almost couldn't believe it.

Luka didn't open her eyes, she still breathed lengthily. "…We need different things at different times." She offered.

"I really thought I'd hurt you though." She pressed, still a bit awe-struck.

The older woman couldn't help the slight blush tainting her cheeks. "…Miku, a woman is made to bear children; we're built strong and we can handle _a lot_." She mumbled. "What you've just done…it's quite far from anything that could hurt me. It felt…extraordinarily good." She finally opened her eyes and looked at her.

Miku raised her eyebrows slightly. "…You like it…rough, then?" She crawled over and climbed on top of her.

"…Not all the time, but sometimes. This was one of those times." She casually explained, softly stroking her back. "I made it last so long for you…during that time, I also was aroused, you know. I built up desire and excitement…so it was inevitable that by the end…by the end I, I…just couldn't control myself." She bit her lip and smiled sheepishly.

Miku thought Luka had still had some sort of control at that point because even though she had gone very wild, she was able to stop herself from making any sound. She wondered if she would at some point be able to drive Luka crazy enough that she would scream and completely lose her mind. "…Basically, you needed it _badly_." Miku chuckled before she kissed her.

Luka smiled into the kiss. "That would be the best way to phrase it, yes." She answered with an equally amused tone.  
She loved the feeling of their bodies molding together and their lengthy, slow making out was the cherry on top of the sundae. She felt Miku's body relax and her movements were getting slightly sluggish. Luka very carefully turned them around so the young woman was lying on her back, their lips still locked. She felt her arms slowly go limp around her waist, and she kept kissing her until Miku was almost unresponsive. She pulled very slowly away and the young woman under her didn't open her eyes to meet hers. Luka smiled and caressed her cheek, Miku very faintly leaned her head against her hand. "…Good night, Miku…" She whispered before she gently slid off to lie beside her.

-  
**continued in ch.14**


	14. Chapter 14

**First of all, thanks to everyone for reviewing, and thanks for your patience! **

**Many people tell me they have re-read it (more than twice even!), and it honestly makes me giddy and blushy. I tend to worry about describing too much useless stuff, but hey, I guess it's not a problem if you've read 'till here (and have been rereading!). Thank you for telling me, it really kicks my ass when I'm stalling. I want to make less than three hearts, but the format won't let me. Imagine 5 of them inserted instead of this sentence and the last one! **

**I think someone mentioned being scared I had dropped the story because I take more time updating it...well do not fear! I admit that I've been losing some steam (as well as being a bit busy), but I really do intend to finish this; I'm nearing the end after all. It'd be stupid to leave it incomplete!**

**Otakon was awesome, I wanted to die so hot it was though. Some of you have asked for pictures, but I have to apologize, I feel a bit too embarrassed to show it off here so…hahaha…yeah. But I had a blast, going back for sure next year! (it'll be my 7****th**** year going there…aaah, time sure flies by…).  
I also went to Otakuthon, which is a con here in Montreal. 'Twas a different kind of fun :3  
Cons I go to are always a huge highlight each year, and I end up trying and enjoying different things each year~**

On top of that, my birthday was this week, so I ended up pretty busy :D 

**Man oh man, this AN is getting long, so…here's what else I wanted to say:  
**

**- So many people tell me the hawt love making sessions are one of my fortes, therefore, I might just write up a shameless chaptered fic consisting of short episodes of their awesome discoveries in bed (or not in bed). I wonder if it'd be too much? Anyhow, I'll wait until I'm done with this story. :)**

**- PLEASE DON'T HATE ME 'CAUSE OF WHAT I MADE LILY/MIKI/MEIKO GO THROUGH. ;_;  
I'm a sucker for happy endings, so I try to patch up whatever mess I create when I write. ;O**

Miki ran her fingers along the now dry skin of the blond woman lying next to her. She watched her as she seemed completely absorbed in her thoughts, staring absently at the ceiling. She had a slight idea what the older woman could be reflecting on, and she felt the need to pull her out of it. She knew she couldn't prevent Lily from brooding on her alone time, but she thought she should at least try and distract her when she was with her. "You're not lighting up a cigarette?" Miki suggested a bit out of the blue.

Lily blinked and turned her head her way. "…?"

The redhead smiled. "I think it would be funny."

She chuckled, understanding Miki was referring to the overly used stereotype of smoking after good sex. She shook her head slightly. "I don't have any left." She would have otherwise, just for laughs.

The redhead kept smiling; her fingers still on her skin followed the black marks on the other woman's hip. The lines disappeared under her, as the tattoo spanned all down her lower back in addition to climbing around on her right hip. "…Lily, what do your tattoos mean?" She absentmindedly asked.

She didn't need to glance down to know what familiar lines her small fingers were tracing. "That one means nothing, it's decorative." She casually answered. After a short pause, she raised her left arm slightly and her eyes came to the sharp black lines wrapping around her wrist. Her gaze stopped on the heart shape they formed in the middle of the design. "While this one… …" She sighed softly.

The young woman raised her head off the pillow enough to glance up at her. "A heart." It really was much more of a statement than a question.

Lily snorted dejectedly. "…Funny, huh?" Her tone was cynical, and Miki didn't understand why.

She blinked. "Why would it be?"

The blond was a bit perplexed, since she thought it was obvious. "…'cause I'm…not…Doesn't it feel a bit off for me of all people to have chosen a heart?"

Miki shrugged. "…I don't think so. The way it's done is very you. And I… think a heart fits you well."

Lily's frown deepened. She really didn't think she gave the impression to be the type of person to get a heart tattooed. "How?" She pursed her lips, wondering what sort of explanation the younger woman would come up with.

"You're not the brute you make yourself appear to be." Miki very plainly answered; she sat up to observe her features in a more comfortable position. As she did so, her heart started thumping harder in her chest, and her breath caught in her throat. Lily's blond hair framing her delicate features and her presently puzzled blue eyes made her look like the picture of pure innocence. Miki thought that if Lily dressed and behaved appropriately, she could make anyone believe she was an angel. But she knew she should be worried if it ever did happen. She bent over her slightly. "You're sweet. That's why you smell like honey…and that's why I - …that's…why I fell in love with you." She added more quietly.

Lily wordlessly stared up at her. She didn't expect an elaborate answer from Miki, but once again, her genuine, simple and unshielded answer had her a bit staggered. Miki had such a heedless and unpretentious way of saying things, her sincerity inevitably broke down any barrier that could still have stood between her and her interlocutor.  
The way Miki had her back to the window, which was the only source of light in the room, made her silhouette hover above her little more than a shadow. The moonlight outlining her face let Lily decipher her even expression, and her deep crimson eyes seemed like endless gulfs. The older woman had the feeling again that she didn't know her young lover at all.  
Miki socially showed herself very bubbly and cheerful, naïve and even dense at times too. But at times like this…the redhead was mystifying and seemed very much of a precarious wild card. Lily slowly reached out to caress her cheek and let her fingers comb through the red hair. She raised herself into a sitting position and met her lips very gently. When she pulled back, Miki's eyes were still closed, so she kissed her again. She pulled back again after a moment and was surprised to see her eyes already wide open.  
Her frown returned, and her cheeks took an almost unperceivable pink color. "…You were staring at me?" She was put out.

Miki didn't move away, and didn't seem disconcerted by her reaction or her own action. "Yes."

"..While we kissed?" Lily specified.

"Yes." She flatly admitted.

Lily watched how unchanging and guiltless the young woman's expression was. "…that's…unusual." After all, who stares at someone while kissing them?

The redhead blinked. "I wanted to see what you look like when you kiss me." She offered the obvious.

She opened her mouth, still frowning, then closed it again. Lily had never wondered what her lovers had looked like as they kissed her, but now that she thought about it…she was indeed curious. In this intimate exchange, with both parties' eyes closed, one certainly would tend to relax and let themselves feel freely.  
…Though now it made her a bit worried to know what Miki would have seen. She still tried asking. "…and your verdict?"

Miki inched closer. "What does the heart tattoo mean?"

Lily blanked out a second.  
She was taken aback by the sudden recurring question; both because she thought she had escaped explaining this and…because she expected an answer to her own question. Yet Miki had unsystematically changed the subject. She chose to give up for the time being. "It means..." She sighed, flopping back down on her pillow. "It's to remind myself." She admitted, a bit melancholically.

She stared down at her. "Of what?"

Lily exhaled again, searching for the best way to express what she needed to say. Miki was the first one to ask and she had never thought of how to explain this. "…Who I was, who I've been, who I don't want to be, _what_ I don't want to be." She ambiguously whispered. She felt the young woman's stare on her, waiting for further explanations, and she decided to start with the beginning. "I haven't always been like this; I was a real quiet and good kid, if you'll believe it." She turned her gaze to the ceiling of her room. The faint moonlight her window let in drew hollow stripes on it. Miki still hadn't moved to lie back down with her. "…I was scared to become one of the many people who live empty, routine lives. Who spend all their lives being what others say they should, and those who conform because they're afraid to be who they really are."  
She pondered if the young woman understood what she meant and if she made sense at all. She glanced at her and Miki nodded faintly, so she continued. "As a teen I went on a rebellious streak; I did all sorts of bad things. It started slow, but it got pretty bad. To make a long story short, when I realized I was going down the wrong road, I…managed to straighten myself. Thankfully." Lily reached out to her so the redhead compliantly lied back down, making herself comfortable in her arms. Miki traced the heart-shaped form in the middle of the sharp black lines on the other woman's wrist. After a short silence, the blond resumed. "Then I got this tattoo. I want to remember I was a nice kid and I want to grow into a decent person. I don't wanna fall back into all that shit. So the heart is to remind me to hold on to my humanity."

Miki nodded again. "It makes sense. It really does suit you." She snuggled closer, rubbing her cheek against her shoulder. "…What did you do? In your bad period?" Curiosity was evident in her voice.

Her eyes still followed the bizarre, hollow stripes on the ceiling. "…Everything I wasn't allowed to and everything I'd been ashamed of doing." She elusively answered.

She pursed her lips, unsatisfied with her answer. "Like what?"

Lily considered a moment, but quickly told herself she didn't want to hide anything. If she wanted to consider a real relationship with Miki, she owed her the whole truth. "One of the first things was to say to hell with what everyone thought. If I wanted to be with a girl, it was my own damned choice. I dyed my hair black from when I was fifteen 'til I was eighteen, I got the piercings then too." She motioned for the multiple earrings in the one ear Miki could see. "I got my tongue pierced too, but I took the barbell out a little before I met you and Miku." Her expression grew a little more serious and she glanced down at her. "…I started drinking and smoking at your age. Then…then it got serious; around seventeen I'd…steal and started using some drugs, and I left home. I got into trouble with the police, and honestly…I'm not really proud of myself." Her voice had grown quieter. "It's only the last two years I've been recovering from all that." She admitted.

Miki stayed silent a long moment. "So it was really bad…?"

She shrugged slightly. "Not everything was bad…I learned not to be afraid of being who I want to be." Lily would really rather see the positive; what lesson she'd learned. Something then came to her. "Fourteen through sixteen is…when Luka and I were dating, by the way." She stated, very carefully.

The young woman nodded. "I heard from Miku…" She murmured. "…Did you love her?"

Lily didn't need to think about it. She closed her eyes and smiled to herself. "I did." She uncharacteristically answered in an incredibly gentle tone. "Very much."

Miki raised herself into a half-sitting position. "…" She stared at her as if she searched to read her mind.

Hearing no reply, Lily looked over at her. As she expected from her silence, the young redhead didn't look pleased. "I don't anymore, don't worry." She offered to reassure her.

But Miki didn't seem reassured at all. "…But you…there's something about you that's…different…_softer_ when you talk about her…" She worriedly grouched.

Lily gave a soft sigh, smiling again. "Well of course. She has some sort of special place. She was my first…_everything_. First girl I ever looked at, first love, first date, first girlfriend, first kiss, first time…Of course I'll get like this." She turned on her side and observed the young woman's features. In this angle, the moonlight hit Miki just right, and her skin glowed subtly. Lily reached out to her cheek and couldn't resist moving her fingers down. Down her neck, down her shoulder, down her modest chest, down her stomach, caressing her very faintly defined abs. Miki truly was an athlete, she noted. "…pretty much all my good memories as a teen are of Luka. The rest of my life went to hell." Her eyes dropped slightly, but softness still imbued her behavior. "…Though she never loved me." She was still smiling; it didn't sadden her. She had come to terms with it ages ago so this fact didn't take away from her pleasant memories. "So when she went away, I learned to let go…I doubt she ever loved anyone else other than Miku."

Miki lied back down into a comfortable position, facing Lily. She didn't know how many lovers the other woman actually had, or how many of them she had had feelings for. She knew if she asked, it would probably take a long while to talk about all of them since Lily had been a bit promiscuous. So she thought she would ask another time…because right now only one truly worried her and all she truly needed to know was a simple detail about her.  
"…Did you love Mei-nee-san…?" She whispered her question, a little fearful.

Lily expected her to go there. "…" Her conversation with Meiko played in her head again, and she looked away. "No." She breathed. "No. I-…I…" She turned to Miki again. "Meiko, she's…see, I…really could have spent the rest of my life with her. We were a great match. But I…also could live without her too. So I knew she wasn't _the one_." She carefully explained. "And…I knew not to let myself fall in love, because I knew from the start that Meiko and I wouldn't last….I admit I got a bit caught up and I…was really happy. So now….breaking up hurts much more than I expected when I got myself into this." She blinked back tears she felt coming up, and she turned on her back to stare at the ceiling. She really didn't want Miki to see her emotional. "I guess I didn't realize how precious it was until I lost it." She added, her voice very low. Lily sighed for the umpteenth time. "…I'm sorry, I know you don't want to hear all this about her." She said to change the subject.

Miki's expression had softened. She had been a bit reassured, and she could see Lily was very affected. "…It's fine, I asked." She whispered. "…" She closed in and rested her head on her shoulder again. Seeing the older woman pained the way she was made her heart ache. As she observed her, even through the darkness, she could make out the extra gleaming in her blue eyes. "…Do you want to cry…?" She risked asking.

"…" She considered saying yes. But she didn't feel ready to let the younger woman in this much. "…No." She closed her eyes again, gaining some control back.

It worried her immediately. What if all Lily had done was drink her emotions numb? What if she had never even once let herself feel and let it all out? Miki knew enough to know doing that only made matters worse, so she inquired further. "…Did you cry at all?"

She heard the concern in the tone of her voice. "…" Slowly, Lily turned to her, more or less back to herself. "Yeah. With her, when we…decided it was over. We both cried." She confessed. Miki nodded, and wrapped her arms around her neck to pull her in a tight embrace. The blond caressed her back very softly, smiling to herself. "...…Man, I never thought I'd tell anyone." She chuckled.

Miki poked her head up and gazed at her, only a few inches away from her face. "…That you cried?"

Lily shook her head, still smiling. "No, that I…yeah…but…well everything. Everything I just explained, about who I was, about Luka or Meiko…" She trailed off, reviewing their discussion. "…" Doing so made her realize right away how much better talking about all this made her feel. She rubbed her cheek softly against the red head of hair, still caressing her back. "Thanks, for everything."

Miki nodded faintly and tightened her hug. "…So have you fallen in love with me yet?" She whispered.

Lily's grin widened. "…I'll tell you when I have." 

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Miku woke up to the feel of her lover's embrace. She cracked her eyes open, but the strong light the window let in compelled her to close them again. She didn't remember falling asleep; the last thing she recalled were Luka's lips on hers. She noticed her pillow was unusually warm, and when she took note her head was slowly rising up and down with it, she understood her pillow was in fact the other woman's chest. Miku smiled to herself and tightened her grip on her, snuggling against the soft flesh.

Her movement made it known to Luka that she was awake. "Good morning." The tall woman whispered, her smile evident in her voice.

"…'mornin…" Miku pressed her lips to her skin to accompany her greeting. She felt ready to burst so blissful she was. Waking up fully rested in Luka's arms after such a night _and_ having the burden of worrying about her parents lifted…she didn't think she could ask for more right now. "…How long have you been awake?" She questioned in a murmur, her lips still brushing against her.

She hummed at the tickly feeling Miku's breath and lips gave her. "Twenty minutes or so." Luka answered as softly. She started moving her hands in a gentle caress on her back and it made Miku snuggle closer.

The young woman rubbed her cheek against her breast. "You didn't wake me up…" She stated the obvious, cracking her eyes open again to look at the clock. It read ten in the morning. She still thought it was early considering how late they had went to sleep.

Luka sighed. "You look so serene when you're sleeping, I couldn't disturb you." She explained and glanced down at her. "…But…now that you're awake…" She trailed off and turned the two of them around so Miku was on her back. Luka moved down, her lips were on her stomach before Miku knew it.

Her eyes widened; she was shaken to full awareness in a second. "W-wait…Luka!" She stammered.

"What is it?" She licked her skin, trailing from her bellybutton until she reached the small patch of teal hair. "Are you due for your period?"

"No but I-I-aaah…AH~!" Her body bucked. Luka's tongue pushed inside her almost making her lose it right then and there.

She licked her lips. "You…?" Luka held her hips with both hands and pushed her tongue inside her again. The taste was strong, it didn't surprise her. She had worked Miku quite a lot the previous night and as the young woman very obviously hadn't been able to clean herself yet; the remnants added to the new wetness' taste. She moved her tongue at her entrance in a slow rotational movement.

"Luka…s-stop…please…" She whimpered, her legs twitching into a more open position. She bit back a moan as she felt her explore further. One of the tall woman's hands caressed her lower stomach as she sensuously sucked on her flesh. Miku's parted legs opened wider despite herself. "Please!" She begged in a lamenting voice. "M-my parents have to be awake, we can't…" She weakly pushed the top of her head, trying to get her to stop.

Luka chuckled. "Look who's being reasonable, for a change…" She commented before she kissed with an open mouth, tasting her essence once more. She savored lengthily before she slowly pulled back and rose into a sitting position. "It's a shame…I really felt like having you for breakfast." Her eyes followed her slender body to her hip area, then slightly downwards, and she licked her lips.

Miku shivered and pulled her legs together as she tried to cover her body with her slim arms, a vain attempt to make the other woman stop looking at her the way she was. "…I'm not stopping you because I want to! I really feel deprived!" She whined.

The pink haired woman smiled a little unbelievingly. "Deprived? Didn't I give you a lot last night?" She wiped the corner of her mouth with her thumb.

Miku clutched herself, pouting. "…But you didn't do _that_…" She countered a bit accusingly, as if she had expected the other woman to go down on her on top of it all.

Swiftly, she grabbed her knees and pulled her legs apart again, exposing the younger woman. "I could right now." She casually said as she headed back down.

"No!" Miku immediately pulled her legs together. "You can't! Definitely! I won't be able to face them if my parents hear us!"

Luka, with her head stuck between her thighs, was still a bit too far to reach what she wanted. "…" She tried to push on her thighs to free herself.

"…" Miku kept her firmly still, though she was careful not to hurt her. "…If I release you, what will you do?" She tried, after a short moment of watching her half-heartedly struggle.

Luka stopped moving a second. "…" The tone of her voice made her sound very cheeky as she answered. "Head down." Her hands ran up her legs to her target.

Miku stopped them by grabbing them by the wrists. "Wrong answer." She pursed her lips and frowned at her prisoner (even if she couldn't see her).

Luka sighed. She wondered why Miku was able to resist her, when she usually indulged so easily into her desires. "…Move away?" She sounded a bit like she was pouting.

Miku parted her legs enough to free her. Despite everything, she was a bit sad to have to turn her down and to see her so dejected.  
"…Tonight, okay?" She tried, to cheer her up.

She offered her a smile to show she was fine. "…sounds good." She sat a bit straighter, observing her. Luka could still feel her own body ticklishly warm, and though she usually was very accommodating and very rational, she couldn't help herself. Her mind was fuzzy. "…Would you still let me enjoy you a moment before we get out of bed?" She innocently requested.

The teal haired young woman was a little suspicious, but couldn't quite find it in her to deny her. "…If you play nice…" She carefully agreed.

Without answering, she climbed back up, lowering herself down on top of her. She gathered her in her arms and pulled their bodies together, claiming her lips. Luka pushed against her, hungrily kissing her. She felt Miku's hands feebly caress her shoulders and slowly wrap themselves around her neck. She could feel she completely overwhelmed the younger woman, and slowly she pulled back. Miku dazedly opened her eyes to gaze at her. Luka smiled slightly and met her lips again. With one hand, she massaged her body very gently, her fingers explored her skin as she entwined their legs, pushing to her core, making Miku moan in her mouth.

The young woman weakly broke away, her eyelids were heavy and her breath still mixed with her lover's, but she managed to articulate words. "…You're not playing nice…" She whispered. She felt her leg press harder against her and she shut her eyes tightly. "We can't, Luka…!" Her voice wavered and she shot a glance back up at her. Her eyes were watery and desperate.

It stabbed at her. So, sighing softly, Luka stopped the pressure. "…I know..." As tempting as it was to make her surrender (because she knew she could break her will if she pushed on), she knew Miku wouldn't be pleased with her forcing her way through after Luka was done _pleasing_ her. "…I won't push for any more. You won't truly enjoy if you're worrying about your parents anyways." She ran her fingers through her bangs and kissed her cheek more gently.

Miku exhaled a breath of relief knowing she wouldn't have to fight Luka off anymore; resisting her up until now had already proven to be terribly demanding. "…Thank you…" She whispered. The other woman slowly lifted herself up, and as she moved away, Miku elusively reflected that despite what had just transpired, she was pretty lucky to have such an amorous lover. She loved Luka's attentions, and she was glad Luka found her so desirable. This train of thought brought her back to a question that had crossed her mind when she had been talking to her parents. "…say, Luka…"

The woman laid on her stomach beside her, propped up on her elbows to look down at her. "Yes, darling?"

With some hesitation, Miku asked in a quiet voice. "…Would you…still love me if I was male?"

Her expression fell. "…" She observed the younger woman's features very carefully, looking extremely unsure. "… …What?"

Miku stared back at her. "…would you?"

She seemed to be searching for her words, and when she tried talking, her voice was very gentle. "…Are you thinking of…do you feel like…?" Luka gathered herself again. "Would you rather be a man than a woman?" She whispered. "…Are you thinking of…changing?"

Her eyes widened immediately and she shot up in a sitting position. "No no, no!" Miku shook her head. "That's not it! Not at all!"

Luka still looked a bit hesitant. "…Then, what?"

The young woman sighed. "Just…hypothetically. If I'd been born a guy, would you still have fallen in love with me?"

With a very relieved air about her, the pink haired woman flopped down on the pillow. She kept gazing at her, pensive. "…If you had been born male, then you probably wouldn't have had the same life experiences. I believe the end result would be a very different person than who you are now personality-wise. Your values, beliefs, behavior…everything would be different." She commented.

Miku scrunched her nose cutely. "I guess so…?"

There was another silence, and Luka turned on her side, giving an almost imperceptible groan as she did so. This comment hadn't been at random, and she decided to explain her deflective answer by posing the inverted problem to the younger woman. "…Had I been a straight male, I might have ended up being someone very similar to Gakupo. Do you think _you_ would still be in love with me?" Luka very casually asked.

"…" Instantly, Miku understood her point. Had she been born male, there was no telling where she would be and who she would have become.  
The most obvious example, and why Luka said she might have ended up like Gakupo was that…as a straight male, Luka wouldn't have been rejected by her mother. This episode had broken her self-confidence and was probably the main reason that even being a stunningly gorgeous, intelligent and incredibly talented woman, Luka was still humble, unpretentious and very approachable. It would be hard to even tell if Luka would have felt pressured to perform like she had, had she not felt she needed to prove her worth. What it came down to was…Luka might have been an average pretty boy somewhat full of himself. And Miku wasn't sure if she would have fallen in love with that man. "…I love who you are right now." She ended up answering her.

Luka's features softened and she reached to her cheek. Her hand trailed down to her neck and immediately down to take her hand in hers. She knew she had turned the whole question around and that this wasn't at all what Miku was originally asking. She knew very well what she wanted to know. So she made an effort to answer the initial question. "…But, had you been the exact same person, only the opposite sex…I don't know. Both because I can't imagine you as a man, and I can't imagine myself knowing of your existence and not being in love with you. I… …I'm definitely not into men, but I…probably would at least care a lot for you." She explained, confused herself at the way her reply turned out. "I'm sorry, this is the best I can answer…Am I disappointing you?"

Miku smiled very softly. "…No…" She would have found it odder if Luka would right away have answered that she unquestionably would still love her. After all, Miku herself wouldn't have been able to conceive how deeply she could have felt for another woman (or for anyone), had she not been living these feelings she had for Luka. She squeezed her hand faintly. "I wouldn't have been disappointed either if you'd flat out have said you wouldn't love me. I know getting over gender isn't easy." She explained. And as she watched Luka's expression change, she understood a bit too late the double-edged meaning of her sentence. Luka's expression reflected a mix of ill-concealed uneasiness, apology and pain; Miku knew exactly what she was thinking. "…that's not what I was saying! Don't think I'd rather you'd been a guy!" Miku immediately pleaded.

Luka met her eyes. "…But isn't it how it is?" She quietly whispered.

"Not at all!" Miku squeezed her hand and pulled closer. "Because if you were, what I love most when you make love to me…it wouldn't be there."

She didn't look convinced. "But we said the exact same person, only a man."

"That's also what I meant." The young woman pressed on. "There are things about you, not things that you do…but things _about_ you that makes my heart race every time, and makes my head cloudy and my body into goo…" She tried to explain, and realized it was a bit clumsy, as her lover frowned slightly, still uncertain. She decided to name a few to make her point. "Like…the sound of your voice, it captivates me…or how light you are when you get on top of me. And I marvel every time at how your skin is so soft and smooth when I touch you, and the way you handle me so perfectly with those delicate hands of yours. And I…won't shy away from it, we both know I'm obsessed with those." Miku glanced down at her naked chest, before she looked back up into those turquoise eyes she adored. She was glad to see how much they had cleared. The young woman smiled in relief. "But I think that most of all, I love how you smell." She finished, moving closer to her. She leaned in to kiss her, and caressed her cheek doing so. There were so many other things about Luka she loved, her list would be too long to go on. "I wouldn't trade these for all the money in the world…and they're all things that would be different if you weren't a woman." She quietly said, resting her forehead against hers.

She gathered her body in her arms and held her tightly. "You don't know…how much this means to me…" She whispered in the teal hair, her faint breath shivering.

"You don't realize how much I love you…_you_, exactly as you are." Miku strongly whispered back. She hung onto her, leaning up to bury her face into her shoulder. "There is _nothing_ I would change about you. It's not that I fell in love with you as a person, and then I just deal with your body. I really love both, I loved both from the start. And I don't care if we don't get married, I don't care if we can't make a baby, and I don't care if we have to fight for the rest of our lives." She enjoyed the scent of her smooth skin, their naked bodies together, the tenderness and warmth in the way she so carefully held her back. Miku thought that if the world should stop, this was how she wanted to be frozen in time forever. "…So really, don't think I would be happier if you were a man. I honestly couldn't be happier than I am now." She whispered, kissing her skin. She couldn't help elongating her earlier list. "I love your lips, I love your curves, and I –I…I'm sorry if it sounds lewd but I…also do love when I feel…when y-you're…when I t-touch you d-down there a-and…I c-can feel that you're…r-really…" She gathered herself to say it; she still found this sort of thing embarrassing to say. "…when you're…wet."

She pulled away to look at her curiously. The romantic and tender air about her had vanished.

Miku was very embarrassed. "It turns me on." She still explained quietly.

"…" Luka stared at her. "Miku…" She breathed almost inaudibly, and the young woman expected everything but what her lover very flatly stated next.  
"…you're not straight."

She blinked. "…huh?"

Luka shook her head, looking at her a little unbelievingly. "…You _can't_ be, with what you just said."

The teal haired young woman blinked again. "But I only ever looked at boys before you came into my life." She countered.

"But Miku, if you really were strictly heterosexual, no matter how much you love me… you would be happier if I were a man, and you _would_ be dealing with my body. You wouldn't necessarily be rebuffed or disgusted, but you-…you wouldn't actually like it." She carefully explained. "You wouldn't…love these things you described. Especially not the last thing you said…about my…woman parts. You would be making an effort to touch me, and you would definitely not be turned on by these natural reactions I get down there."

Miku opened her mouth, then closed it again. Luka had a point, but…then again…"But I never so much _glanced_ at another woman before I met you…" She argued. "And, when I realized I was attracted to you, I was really confused so I gave it a doubt, and I tried to imagine myself with other women, but it really did _nothing_ for me. I really, really didn't like it." She really had made an effort; but just thinking of kissing any other woman, no matter how gorgeous, was completely useless. Luka was the only one.

"…Miku." She exhaled, hanging her head slightly. She slowly sat up and got out of bed; the young woman thought she had given up. She picked up her nightgown, which they had discarded in a hurry the previous night, and slowly, she slipped it back on. She sat back on the bed, next to her, and she stared at her for a short while. Then, after a moment of reflection, Luka reached down under her nightgown and wriggled for a second. She then brought her hand to Miku's face, offering her her slimy fingers. Miku very willingly opened her mouth and the pink haired woman watched her as she cleaned them of the sticky fluids. She repressed a shiver, not wanting to get turned on again.

When she was done, Miku opened her eyes and took her hand in hers. She stared at the pink haired woman with a bit of a questioning gaze, as she had found her action a bit random.

"Now…" Luka stared at her skeptically. "…tell me you're _one hundred percent_ straight."

"…" Miku felt cheated.  
…But Luka was absolutely right.  
"Okay, you made your point…" She sighed faintly, playing with the hand she held in her smaller ones. "Though you truly are the only woman I ever wanted. So what does that makes me?"

Luka let out a small sigh, a soft smile playing on her lips. "I don't know…do you really need a label?" She simply questioned back, but because all this seemed to really get Miku thinking, the tall woman still chose to try helping her define herself. "…Maybe you're just very specific about the type of women you like." She tried. Her young lover's teal eyes met hers with a puzzled air. "…Pretend we never met." Luka started. "…but, there would be a woman a lot like me in your entourage. Would you have fallen in love with her?" She questioned theoretically. "Would you fantasize about her the way you did about me and men before me?"

"…" This specific last question hit her like a ton of bricks; it dawned on her and her eyes widened noticeably. "…Luka, I…never thought about anyone in a…s-sexual way… …until I met you. I never fantasized about men the way I did about you." She quietly said, incredulous at her realization. "I mean, I did look at guys, but…but I never was interested enough to even consider going out with any of them. Not even to give it a try for any sort of romantic relationship." She explained, and she lowered her gaze, slightly lost. "…I never actually fantasized about anyone other than you." She repeated. "You're the first person I had actual dreams about, and you're the only one I ever wished would touch me." She insisted, as if she needed to repeat it out loud to grasp this fact herself. She looked back up again, searching her features and turquoise eyes for some answer. "You woke something in me." She whispered.

Luka's cheeks had taken on a pink color. "Stop it, you're embarrassing me…" She whispered, wondering how what Miku had just explained could be possible.

"It's the truth though." Miku sighed; she couldn't imagine lusting for anyone else. She got out of bed to pick up the bottom half of her nightwear off the floor. She put on her teal boy-shorts as she pensively stared out into space. "If I'd never met you, I'd probably have finished as a crazy old lady with a dozen cats." She commented.

This made the older woman blush a little more. "…Be serious." She breathed.

"…But, I am." Miku looked over at her. "I was never attracted to anyone else, romantically or sexually." She picked up her white top and Luka's panties fell from it; she picked them up and handed them back to the other woman. "….I think I'd been waiting for you." She said, a little more seriously as she sat back down next to her. Luka wordlessly leaned in to kiss her forehead, and Miku could feel the pink locks of hair tickling her cheeks. She closed her eyes, and she smiled to herself.  
"If you didn't exist, I'd just have died alone, never having known love or true happiness." She added in a dramatic voice, letting herself fall back on her bed. She opened her eyes in time to see Luka roll hers, shaking her head. She stared at her for a short moment, as the pink haired woman put her underwear back on. "Or maybe you'd have been a fantasy of mine, then I'd have created you." Miku suggested.

Luka turned back to her with a puzzled frown altering her features. "…How?"

Miku blinked. "I'd become a mad scientist." She declared, as if it was the most obvious thing there was.

"…" Luka stood up, chuckling. She put on her dark pink peignoir, as her skimpy was not very appropriate in front of Miku's parents. "….Let's go get breakfast. You stopped making sense a few minutes ago." She whispered, helping her up.

"…" Miku followed her, keeping her hand in hers. She hadn't entirely been joking.

They made their way down the stairs and both her parents were in the kitchen. As Miku greeted them, neither her father nor her mother were able to meet her eye. Both of them answered their daughter quickly, with fleeting glances as they busied themselves.  
But they both stared a bit too long at the taller woman as they answered her greeting.  
Miku gathered from the succinct replies and the reluctance to make eye contact that her parents had definitely heard them last night. Well, they had heard _her_; Luka had obstinately kept quiet, and the few moans she had allowed herself had been very low and discreet. Miku wished she had as much self-control.

Miku's father looked at the both of them, and tried to lighten the awkward atmosphere by breaking the silence. "At least we know you can take care of her!" He laughed loudly, winking at Luka.

Miku wished she had a hole to hide herself in.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

She gently pushed her away. "Miku you have to stop this!" Luka laughed. "How are we _ever_ going to get the end right if you keep kissing me before we're done?" She removed her headphones, unbelieving but still smiling. They had left Miku's parent's house early, both because they wanted a last few hours of practice before they recorded the song, and because the atmosphere over there had been much too awkward since the morning. They had been rehearsing Magnet for almost two hours straight now; they didn't have the final instrumental at hand, but they thankfully had a recorded piano version which Luka had previously brought over for their manager. They presently were rehearsing to the sound of this recording. There were very few people in the studio on this Sunday afternoon, and both of them felt very free to act without shame, all alone in this soundproof, closed room.

"I can't help it …!" Miku was at loss. She also removed her headphones. "I can't help it! With the culmination, the emotion…when you say it… the way you sing it…!"  
When Luka started the last chorus, Miku would inevitably stick herself to her and claim her lips. It made the young woman wonder if they should switch the song around for Miku to be the lead on the last chorus…because these lyrics drawing her in inevitably, having her kiss her inevitably, said 'You pull me in like a magnet'. And Miku presently was the one being pulled in against her own will, stopping their rehearsal each and every time before they could be done with the whole song. She was starting to be worried with recording starting as soon as school would be done the next day.

Luka quietly laughed again. "I know, I know…you explained already but…we really _need_ to do this seriously." She reminded her.

Miku nodded eagerly, putting her headphones back on. "I won't do it this time."

"…" Luka also put her headphones, and started the music over again. They sung together, and inevitably…"Hikiyosete magnet no you n-mmf"

Miku pulled back. "Sorry!" She backed a few steps.

She stared at her unbelievingly, but she really couldn't help but still smile. "…you're incredible." With a hand on her hip, she sighed, chuckling. "Here, come here." She motioned for Miku to step closer again. When she did, Luka took both of her hands in hers. "Now…You can close in. You can hold on to my hands as tight as you want. But you absolutely can't kiss me. Or touch me any other way. Not until we're done signing." She explained, thinking the contact should help Miku keep herself in check. "…If you kiss me again, I'm not letting you stay over tonight." She added in a warning.

Miku frowned deeply, her mouth agape.

Luka grinned maliciously. "Now let's try it again." She released her hands long enough to start the music again.

They once again went through the whole song, and it sounded impeccable. But as they began the last two choruses, Luka felt Miku grip her hands tighter and she could fell her breath against hers. She cracked her eyes open, and noticed Miku had done the same. The young woman's eyes reflected the exact same emotions she knew could be seen in her own eyes. Longing. Adoration. Tenderness. Their lips brushed from time to time by the end of the last chorus, but they did manage to finish this time around.  
As Miku breathed out her last word, Luka smiled. She kissed her as a reward.

"…I love signing with you…" Miku dreamily whispered, having completely forgotten Luka's earlier threatening.

"So do I." The taller woman gently answered, and as the teal haired young woman closed in again, she indulged in a short making-out session. It took a few minutes for her to pull back. "Are you ready to try for the whole song again? We really need to practice, we're recording tomorrow." She breathed, kissing her neck softly.

Miku pressed closer. "…Don't we already sound perfect though?" She overconfidently murmured.

"…" Luka smiled. They did sound perfect already; they harmonized like she had never heard two voices do so before. And this wasn't even biased, it was completely objective. Luka nibbled gently at her ear, and she felt the young woman in her arms grip her tighter. It made her smile; she knew Miku well enough by now to know what she would ask her when she'd open her mouth again.

Luka's teeth and tongue at her ear made her exhale a shuddering breath. "Do you think we could…here?" She moaned softly.

As expected. And the tall woman knew better than to ask her to wait until they got to her place…in a few hours. Miku didn't like to wait. Moreover, Miku had been on edge ever since that morning. Luka having taken the liberty to taste her the way she did had pushed a button that wouldn't be released until Miku got, well, _release_. "Here is risky. What about the toilets?" She offered.

Miku pouted. "Doing that in there makes it…sort of dirty, don't you think?" Also, she wanted it _-now-_.

Luka glanced behind her at the only entrance to the room. "We can't lock the door here though…" She reflected out loud.

"…I…well…" Miku stared at her expectantly. "…No one's checked on us ever since we got here…there's no camera, no window...only one door…and it's sort of exciting…" She grinned a bit naughtily. "…I'll wait until tonight for you to…go down on me…" She whispered embarrassedly the last words, still not being used to saying that kind of thing. She really was eager to feel Luka do that again, but she was very aware that if someone did walk in, there was no way they could deny what they'd been doing. "…Right now, I'm fine i-if you just slip your hand under my skirt…then we can pretend nothing was going on if someone decides to check on us…" She mischievously suggested.

Luka couldn't help but be amused with her eagerness. She also thought opting for that wasn't such a bad idea. So she sat on one of the two stools they had in the small room. "…Come here." She patted her lap and Miku climbed on her immediately to sit sideways on her. She wrapped her arms around the taller woman's neck. "…I'll be quick…so we can practice a little more. When we're done with rehearsing, we'll head home…hum?" She kissed her temple as the young woman leaned against her. "…my place. You'll pay me back when we get there…"

"…Sounds like a plan." She whispered, feeling the other woman caress her thighs under her skirt. Luka's hand went between her legs and rubbed her through her underwear. Miku buried her face in her neck, exhaling. "T-talk to me…"

She raised her eyebrows, a bit surprised. "What do you want me to say?"

"I…I-I don't know…anything…" She breathed, rocking her hips ever so slightly. "I love your voice…it'll help make me… ….fast." She explained, and something came to her as she did. What she loved most was Luka's gasping voice, and what she loved second best was her singing voice. "…sing your p-part of Magnet…?" She embarrassedly mumbled.

"…Really?" Luka chuckled, stroking a bit more strongly.

Miku twitched and she nodded. "Please…"

Luka complied, singing to her in a very low whisper. Miku couldn't help the smile on her lips as Luka pronounced the first part of her lyrics, in which she said Miku had her wrapped around her finger. She felt her ministrations pick up speed as she approached the chorus, as she confessed they were still burning so hard for each other. Miku couldn't help trying to sing the chorus with her, her voice shaky from the pleasure couldn't keep the tempo, her breathing all over the place, but Luka waited for her, signing along with her. She kept an even pace with her fingers, allowing her steady pleasure and no immediate surprise so she wouldn't moan or gasp in the middle of a line. Miku moved her hips and body with Luka's movements, and when she was done with the chorus, she stuck her lips to the older woman's neck, biting and sucking gently.  
Luka's seductive tone as she sang for Miku to want her more, to melt into her had the young woman cling to her desperately. The pink haired woman pushed her underwear aside to thrust her fingers inside her and she took on the second chorus alone; Miku's erratic breathing wouldn't allow her to join in. Luka rubbed her clit with her thumb as her two fingers easily slid in and out of her. With the little consciousness she still had, as the older woman sang that if they ever touched each other, they would be unable to go back, Miku couldn't help reflecting on how true these words were. The other woman seemed to know her body better than she did herself, and she was certain no one else could ever make her feel so blissful. Nestling into her arms, into the warmth of her soft body, breathing in nothing but her intoxicating scent as she gasped, Luka's exquisite voice rang in her ears. Singing these heart-wrenching words of desperate love they wrote together…and her gentle fingers steadily made her mind blank out. Miku wished she could sing with her, but with her release closing in, all she could do was moan a word or two to accompany Luka through the last two choruses. The young woman was suspecting, with the little consciousness she still had, that the buildup of the song as it advanced helped build her climax. So with the last sentence, as Luka pulled her closer, her body tensed and her fingers dug into Luka's back. The pink haired diva's voice was the most gorgeous in the world. "Taisetsu na…"

"…anata…" Miku unexpectedly completed beautifully, shaping her moaning voice to pronounce the last word as her body relaxed completely. She gently kissed her as her body quivered, clutching her instinctively. Luka cautiously took out her fingers and held her against herself securely. She combed the teal hair with her clean hand, waiting for her to settle down.

Only after a few minutes did Miku seem to find herself again. Her breath was steady and she wasn't in this sluggishly relaxed state anymore. Luka snuggled closer. "…Could you sing it like that when we record it?"

Her mind was too jumbled to get it. "What?" Miku confusedly exhaled.

"…How you finished by yourself." Luka simply explained. "…I loved it. I know it wasn't on purpose but I…would really like it if you could do it again." She whispered.

"If it'd make you happy, then I'll do my best." She smiled weakly and closed her eyes, nuzzling into her neck.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

That Monday, after a very satisfying recording session, the pink haired woman gathered her things. Miku had homework and really needed to get a full night of sleep, since she had a test on the following day; she therefore headed to her apartment as soon as they were finished. Luka had decided to stay behind and check the recordings, see if there were any other adjustments that could be done the following day and if they needed to re-record anything. She was heading to the elevator when a deep voice stopped her.

"Luka."

She knew this voice too well; she stopped in her track, eyes closed in aggravation. "What do you want?" The diva mumbled.

Gakupo came to stand next to her. "We need to talk." He stated flatly.

She sighed and continued walking. "We have nothing to talk about." She countered in a soft voice. Luka considered she had made her lack of interest very clear the two times she had spoken with him.

"Yes we do." He immediately snapped. "You were in my arms for almost two years! You owe me more than just cutting it off like that!" The tall man stood in her way, forcing her to a stop.

Luka looked up at him, irritated. "But there was nothing to start with! I told you I was playing along as I was told to!"

It didn't seem to faze him. "But I love you." He bluntly countered.

The pink haired woman was stunned. "…" Sure, he had been quite relentless and forceful about him wanting her, but she had sincerely thought it to be his inner-playboy feeling frustrated that a beauty was escaping his claws. Luka had never considered his feelings might go beyond plain lust. She searched his eyes, her own a little softened by the knowledge. "I'm sorry if I made you believe there was something. But I…as I already told you, had just been acting as my manager asked me to. I…can't return your feelings." She gently whispered. "I also remember telling you there was someone else for me."

This last sentence seemed to stab at a very sensible spot of his. "…_Please_ don't tell me it's Hatsune." He implored in an exasperated tone.

A frown slowly obscured her features. "… …What's that supposed to mean?"

The purple haired man truly looked unbelieving. "I mean, do you _really_ think she'll allow you anymore than you were allowing me?" He spat scornfully. "You're gonna live through exactly what you made me live, so give it up!"

Luka could see that in a twisted way, he was worried for her. Of course, an unrequited love was what she also had expected out of her relationship with Miku, and the way he had just presented things had indeed been the most likely scenario. But it wasn't how things had turned out. If only he knew. "…How would you know…?" She pursed her lips. "How can you be _so sure_ the only outcome is me getting hurt?"

"It's common sense!" He gritted his teeth. "Give it up, and come back to me…" He finished a little more softly.

"But I was never yours to start with…" She sighed, shaking her head. In a short silence, Luka reflected that at this point, she might as well be open about her feelings. Gakupo was already convinced she was attracted to Miku…and she and Miku had decided to make it public very soon anyways. She looked up at him again. "…I was always…interested in Miku. I think it's safe to say I was already in love with her by the time you and I started working together." Luka admitted.

His expression fell. "In love?" Gakupo repeated. "But you'd never met her! You expect me to believe that?"

Well, it did sound a little farfetched. "…It's the truth." Luka shrugged.

And her indifferent shrug only seemed to infuriate him. "I can't believe it! I don't!" He barked. He couldn't accept he would have lost the perfect woman to a scrawny little girl without said scrawny little girl even trying to take her away. "You're just saying that to mess with me!" He shook his head, his purple ponytail following the vigorous movement. Gakupo was absolutely certain the pink haired woman was saying all this simply to discourage him; she wanted him to think he had long lost this battle. But he knew better; Luka hadn't been this resistant when they were working together. So it meant she only recently had starting developing these sick feelings –or so he thought.  
"It's her fault, ever since that damn project started, everything changed!" He accused, and threw his hands up in the air in frustration. "Why don't you just go ahead and screw her? You'll come to your senses! You'll understand you're not meant to be with another woman!"

Luka had tried her best to stay calm and be understanding of his ill-expressed feelings…but she was really terrible with profanity and the likes. "I don't want to _screw_ her." She hissed, disgusted with the word.

He didn't get what irked her, or that her denial wasn't about the general idea she wanted to spend her nights with Miku, but at his choice of words. "We had this conversation, I know you do!" He growled back.

"I do not!" She snarled immediately. "I would never want to degrade her with dirty compulsions!" The level of her voice had gotten too loud for her own comfort and she closed her eyes. Luka took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. She glanced up again, fixing her steady gaze on his purple eyes. It was useless, something still boiled inside of her, and her follow-up was as heated as her previous words. "This need for her is not solely carnal! Yes, I do desire her! Because _I love her_! I love her with all my soul! I love her like I never have loved anyone, like I never will love anyone else! It's only natural that I long for her the way I do! I LOVE HER. I'm desperately in love with her! Is it so hard to get?"

He looked shaken, and there was a very heavy silence. The air around the both of them was both frosty and unbearably hot. Gakupo didn't know what to say to change her mind, so he hung on to the last bit he knew to: the fact that there was very little chance the young star would love her female co-worker back.  
"Like she would want you anyways." He spat defensively, and Luka could tell that at this point, it was much more out of desperation than anything else. He wanted to hurt her the way she was hurting him.

And it would have indeed hurt her had they had this conversation when she still had been unaware of Miku's feelings. But now it seemed simply petty. Her teal eyes were very steady as she simply stared back at him. "Who are you to know what she wants?" She evenly said.

"Come on, what are the odds?" He furiously countered. He hadn't truly meant this as a question.

Luka still decided to answer. "They were very slim, I must concede, but they weren't nil either."  
She indirectly admitted she had confirmed with Miku that the odds weren't nil. That she knew for sure they weren't, because she had obtained what she desired.  
She waited for him to understand.

Slowly, very slowly, his expression crumbled. "…" Luka had much too smoothly answered. Not only that, she flat out _assuredly_ stated that the chances hadn't been zero. That she knew for sure the chances weren't zero. That she had confirmed the chances weren't zero. "…they weren't?" He breathed softly, his eyes wide.

"…they weren't. I'm a lucky woman." She confirmed, very carefully. And after a short silence, she sighed, walking past him, "Please give up on me."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

After a second very tiring day of wrapping up the recording and exams at school, Miku got home a little past nine. Her best friend and roommate had prepared the bath and kindly invited Miku to join her, which she very gladly accepted. This would completely relax her, she thought as she undressed.  
Miku a bit enviously noticed that the other young woman had improved her shape lately, and considered going for morning runs once in a while with her. The redhead washed herself without noticing her friend's stare. She then offered to give Miku a hand in washing her load of hair and scrubbed her back for her. With her eyes closed, enjoying the attentions, something came to her. She couldn't remember Miki having shown interest in anyone. She would have never guessed she loved Lily either. So after the conversation she had with Luka this weekend, curiosity gnawed at her. As they switched places and Miku in turn brought the bath sponge to her friend's back, she gently scrubbed in circular movements, gathering her thoughts. No matter how much she tried to find a tactful way to start the conversation and ask this, she couldn't think of anything. But this was her best friend, she shouldn't be ashamed to ask…and anyways beating around the bush was useless with Miki. So she asked.

"Miki…...Are you a lesbian?"

After a short moment, the redhead turned slightly to look at her. "…" Her stare was impenetrable, and it looked a little off on her features.

Miku embarrassedly lowered her gaze a second before peeking back up at her. Meeting her eyes, she looked back down. She didn't remember ever feeling so awkward with Miki. "…I was just wondering." She mumbled, glancing up again.

She seemed to be contemplating her answer for a short moment, her eyes steadily fixed on her. "You are?" She bluntly questioned back.

The teal haired young woman scratched the back of her head in a nervous movement. "I can't say I am, even though I love Luka the way I do." She carefully answered. "That's why I thought I should ask you about yourself." She added, wondering why she felt so uncomfortable. Maybe because that was a weird question to ask another female while bathing?

"Oh, I see." Miki simply answered.

There was a long silence, in which Miku didn't continue to scrub her back. Her friend seemed to have forgotten to answer her. "…So?"

The redhead shrugged. "…I don't know."

Miku blinked. "How can you not know?" She brought the bathing sponge to her back again, and gave a last rub.

Miki stared ahead of her. "I never thought about it." She once again very simply stated.

She reached for the shower head and turned the water back on. After having rinsed her back, she stared at it a second. She wasn't satisfied with Miki's answer. She couldn't understand how her friend wouldn't question herself about this after having realized she was in love with another woman. "...Well do you like Lily because she's a woman?" Miku asked, a light frown having instilled itself on her features.

Miki stood. "No." She walked over to the bath and unceremoniously flopped down in the water. "I love Lily because she's Lily."

Miku pursed her lips. "…That's not helping us any, is it?"

"Sorry." She offered. There was another silence; Miku had pretty much accepted she wouldn't get an answer out of the other young woman. Unbeknown to her, Miki was actually giving it a thought. Miku gave herself a rinse and sat on the edge of the bath, letting her legs in. The redhead turned to her. "I like boobs." She randomly declared. "If I dated a guy, I think then I'd be very sad that he didn't have boobs."

"…"  
Miku remembered Miki had indeed enough interest to have pondered if Luka's were real. She also vaguely thought that if said guy was fat enough, he might have man-boobs. But she thought it would be pointless to bring it up. "So, breasts are your thing?"

She scratched her cheek in a contemplative movement. "… I think they are, yeah. I think I'd also be sad if Lily were like you or me. You know, flat." She made a vertical movement in front of her own chest to illustrate as she said it. "Lily doesn't seem to mind though. Does Luka-nee-san mind?"

A slight blush colored her cheeks, and she felt the need to cross her arms over her chest to hide herself. "She doesn't care much for breasts. She likes it better that way." Miku huffed defensively.

Miki raised her eyebrows, looking completely unconvinced. "She likes that you don't have any?"

Her blush darkened. "I do have some!" She gaped at her friend.

The redhead shrugged, staring unashamedly at the other young woman's chest. "Well, compared to Luka-nee-san…"

Miku glared at her, moving her arms to cover herself more effectively. "…"

She looked back up to meet teal eyes. "…She likes it?"

The teal haired young woman gave a firm nod. "She said she likes that my body is delicate." She explained, giving herself self-important airs to hide her embarrassment.

Miki made an o-shaped mouth. "Oh, I see." She leaned back and into the hot water, lowering herself until only her neck and head stuck out of the bubbles. "Does she still touch you there, though?"

She found the question so silly she forgot most of her shame, and she slowly lowered her arms. "…Of course she does. Doesn't Lily?"

"Yeah, but you said Luka-nee-san doesn't care about boobs." Miki reminded her.

She felt her cheeks burn again. "But that doesn't… …I mean, she…she…likes them small. She does touch." Miku explained awkwardly. "Albeit, not as often as I touch hers." She then admitted.

The redhead grinned, looking a bit mischievous. "You like them big too?"

Miku was slowly starting to realize what a strange conversation she was having with her best friend. Nevertheless she made an effort to answer her. "…I don't know, I only ever wanted to touch Luka…but I…I guess…'cause I really like touching hers…" She sighed, having all but abandoned the idea of keeping some sort of shame or privacy.

"I understand." Miki nodded very seriously. She seemed to be summoning mental images, and Miku would have told her not to, but she truly had given up at that point. She caught herself pondering if the redhead making an effort to picture to herself this aspect of her and Luka's private life was part of Miki's genuine unabashed curiosity or if she should read deeper into it. She didn't have much time to reflect on it, as she was hit with another question. Miki looked like she had found a huge plot hole in all this. "So what does Luka-nee-san like, if she doesn't care for boobs?" She stared at her quizzically.

And Miku wondered how pertinent it was to answer this completely intrusive question. "…" Still, she motioned embarrassedly to her general hip-thighs area. "…This part." She mumbled.

She brought her hand to her mouth, blushing ever so slightly as she stared at her. Miku found it a bit odd that her friend showed some signs of embarrassment _now_; she didn't consider this particularly more embarrassing than the rest of their conversation.  
But Miki manage to prove her wrong as she commented: "…Oh wow, how erotic. She's perverted…" And her eyes were very steadily fixated on the center of what Miku had motioned to.

It took a second for her to catch on that the middle of this specific area was her crotch. "No! No, no, NO! I didn't mean- that's not-…" She waved her hand frantically in front of herself in negation. "I meant… err…thighs and…hips." She tried to correct her mistake. "…and butt." She added a bit more quietly.

"Oh. Oh!" Miki laughed innocently. "I thought you meant your-"

"I know what you thought!" Miku cut in, her cheeks a deep shade of red again. She brought both hands to her face and shook her head in desperation. "Good God…"  
The redhead still didn't move from her spot, and it took a few moments for Miku to realize she was scrutinizing her shape, probably searching to see what interested Luka. "…Don't stare, please." The teal haired young woman splashed some water in her general direction, successfully having her roommate move on to other things.  
As she watched her relax in the hot water, Miku reflected that her question hadn't truly been answered. But she didn't mind much, she found labeling herself hard enough; she understood if Miki couldn't truly answer her either. Why should one feel forced to come up with a label anyways, if it doesn't suit them? Of course other people find it easier to understand if you do have one to offer…and it's fine to have one when you do understand yourself enough to be comfortable with one. Luka knew how to label herself because her feelings were clear. Miku thought her own label right now would be too specific (something like single target sexuality?) or a pain to think through.  
…So if Miki didn't know, or didn't want to think it through, why should she? The important part was that she accepted her own feelings towards Lily and was fine with it. What should the rest matter?

**- continued in ch.15**


	15. Chapter 15

**Thank you so very much for the support and reviews, it makes me ecstatic. :D  
I felt like a terrible person for thinking of writing extras consisting exclusively of sexy stuff, but I did start writing as a result of reviewers' green flag. I'll post as a side story probably after I release ch.16.  
I'm a bit in a hurry, so I might edit to add a better author note when I have ;  
I just really wanted to post this, otherwise I wouldn't be able to until Sunday hahahahaha  
**-

"…This is _so_ not fair." Miku whispered harshly.  
Luka presently had one hand on her thigh as she held her in a very tight embrace, and Miku was making prodigious efforts to keep to herself. She had again ravaged the other woman in the changing room, ignoring her (completely unconvincing) warnings, and this time again, she had been called up first without being able to get her own release. Now, with their hair and make-up done, their dresses and the butterfly headphones on, they were posing for the camera in one of the two settings that had been arranged. This one was a plain grey background, to which lace would be added via computer, in which they had already done quite a number of poses. The second background they hadn't seen yet, since it was still being readied.  
Nevertheless, Luka was presently in a comfortable and liberated state as she pushed her body onto hers, while Miku was fiercely craving some action.  
"…completely unfair!" She mouthed so only the other woman could hear.

Luka repressed a wide grin, but the very corner of her lips still betrayed her mood. "…You brought it upon yourself, darling."  
The young woman hadn't learned her lesson the first time, and being caught by her mother didn't seem to have made her any more reasonable either. Luka wondered if her now raging hormones were enough of a punishment. Though…she didn't and couldn't hold it against Miku that she still would find it hard to restrain herself. It had barely been two weeks since they had given into each other, and Luka knew it easily took up to a month for the honeymoon bubble to pop. She knew sometime in the following weeks, Miku would become reasonable enough to stop acting on impulse like that. She knew it was a matter of time before this fierce, unruly passion would be tamed enough so they wouldn't feel like ravishing the other every single second of the day. Luka decided she would enjoy the ride to its full extent until then.  
This is why she complied so easily when Miku pounced on her, completely disregarding their location and whether they could get caught or not. This is why when Miku tackled her again in the changing room, Luka didn't need much convincing to let her lover have her way.

The sound of the camera shutter stopped for a moment and the photographer called to her a bit timidly. "Megurine-san, can you move your arm slightly? It hides a bit too much of Hatsune-san's figure."

Feeling a little devilish, Luka bent her arm and moved her hand up on her thigh to touch the exposed skin above Miku's thigh-high stockings. "Is this better?" She sweetly called.

"Perfect." He gave her a thumb up, even if in this position she couldn't look his way. He went back to work.

Miku was boiling. She felt her fingers caress the back and inside of her thigh in faint movements. She felt her chest pressed on her, and she knew if she looked down she would get a very nice view of her décolleté. Her heart raced, and she truly wondered how just this still had such an effect on her. Why was it that even knowing her body as well as she did now, the power the other woman held over her in this aspect still hadn't diminished in the slightest?  
…Of course she loved that their sex life promised to stay very healthy…but right now, as Luka was mischievously (Miku was even ready to say maliciously) toying with her, she really wished she was could at least block her senses off.  
"I hate you." She pouted.

"No you don't." Luka chuckled.

"…I'll get back at you." Miku simply grumbled, trying to move away from her as the photographer gave instructions to the rest of the staff. Luka straightened herself up, and the young woman gave a sigh of relief.

A few minutes later, with a quick review of the photos, the tall young man gave another call. "Okay, this is good, we're moving on to the bed." He motioned to the second set, which had been readied while they were posing in this one.

Luka released Miku from her deathly embrace. "Bed?" She glanced over at their manager.

He laughed gleefully, leading them to the second set. "Since you said you were that comfortable with each other, I thought it would be nice to add some extra for the fans!"  
As they arrived in front of it, both of them understood right away what would be asked of them. It was very sober and unadorned; it consisted of a tall occidental bed with headboard and footboard of which the iron frame rails were beautifully ornate. The sheets were immaculately white, so were the quantity of white cushions furnishing it and so was the rest of the plain décor. Miku glanced over at .

Feeling the look she was giving him spurred him to go on explaining. "Your fan's reactions are on both ends of the spectrum! If we tried to hit in the middle –make it sexy enough for those who loved the idea, yet moderate enough for those who aren't as comfortable-, then we lose everyone!" He stared at them expectantly and Luka reluctantly nodded. Miku thought that even if they didn't agree, he still would have stuck to his idea.  
"So, we decided to release a very safe-looking regular edition…while the limited edition will be released with a very sexy photo book!" His cheshire grin was out-and-out excessive. "So _this_ photo shoot is for that book! Don't pose; make it as though you were in fits of passion!" He pompously demanded, a wicked look in his eyes. "We want the photo book to consist of images _'in action'_."

Miku's eyes went from him, to the bed, to Luka, to the bed, and then to him again. "Just making sure…You're asking us to lie on this bed and…just do what lovers would do?"

"Yes! Make it erotic!" He expected the young woman to retort a flat out no, as she had for _Romeo to Cinderella_. But he knew that if he started somewhere in the realm of farfetched, he knew she would usually meet him half-way and still do something interesting for the photo shoot.

Miku and Luka glanced at each other. The young woman held her breath a second, knowing that this was it; now was when everyone would understand. Now was when they would be unveiling the truth. She again met the small man's gaze and gave a nod. "…Okay."

He looked tremendously surprised not to encounter any complaints, but he seemed to decide this was his luck and excitedly sat in his high chair. Miku took the other woman's hand and walked to the stage, next to the vast bed. Standing next to it, she turned to Luka and took her other hand in hers. She gave a light squeeze before she released them to slowly lower herself to lie on her back, holding the tall woman's stare, inciting her to follow.

As Miku seductively lied down, inviting her, Luka could feel the mood had radically changed. On the other set, they had been posing in a relatively safe manner, while on this one…they were left to act on their impulses. They were to be photographed _in action_, as the little devil had phrased, as if they were 'in fits of passion'. She knew she was expected to go in and…'_pretend'_. Luka couldn't stop herself from remembering how the heat from her body felt as she writhed in her arms, how wet and salty it was when she kissed her skin sweaty with exertion, how musky yet amazingly sweet the scent of her core was, how that low voice that came out only when she was about to climax sounded as she screamed. Luka now fervently wished they'd been alone. She had been playing with Miku a little earlier, but seeing her lying in bed, giving her that lustful look…she wanted nothing more than to be able to satisfy her.  
Stifling her urges the best she could, Luka climbed on the bed and slowly lowered herself on top of Miku, whose arms were immediately around her waist. She kissed her forehead very softly and pressed closer, inhaling her scent. Miku's fingers followed up the exposed skin on her back to her shoulders, and she felt Luka shiver. Knowing she had just pressed one of her lover's very sensitive buttons made her smile. She ran her fingers along her back again, grazing gently with her nails, and Luka moaned lowly in her ear, so only she could hear. It was Miku's turn to shiver.  
The young woman pulled away just enough to meet her gaze and she cupped her cheek. "…How far are we taking things, Luka…?" She asked in a whisper. Luka turned her head to kiss her gloved hand gently before she moved back closer again. Miku heard someone d'aww in the staff.

"I don't mind making it explicit, provocative even. This is what they want. And…it will let them understand that we're for real." The pink haired woman casually answered, moving to entwine their legs. In truth, she just wanted to be able to touch her as much as she could, as soon as she could. She kissed her forehead again, then her cheek, taking her time with every move.

"Hatsune! Megurine-san!" The small, bald man jollily interrupted in a call from behind the devices. "This is too soft to be called fits of passion!" Though he did sound ready to burst with joy with how close they were getting.

Miku threw a look around and noticed most people stopped what they'd been doing to stare at them. Of course. Two of the biggest stars at the moment lying on a bed together in a homoerotic fashion, exchanging sweet caresses. Moreover, everyone seemed to be aware of the mood change and the bubble they had created around them. "It wouldn't embarrass you to kick it up a notch, would it?" She whispered again.

She smiled. "I'm fine…but you…? Won't it be hard on you?" After all, Miku had been cursing the closeness a little earlier. Her lips brushed against her cheek, and she slowly followed the line of her jaw. She moved her hips very slightly, pressing against the young woman's thigh.

"I can deal…" Miku closed her eyes; she could hear the staff grow quieter with every step into intimacy Luka took. The camera shutter's clicks were quickly becoming the only thing the young woman could hear in the room and it surprised her she wasn't nervous or embarrassed to be doing this in front of others. Their breath mixed together. Luka's embrace had her drunk and wanting, nothing else mattered.

"We want ardor!" The jovial man interrupted again. "Desire! Lust!" He exclaimed, hoping he could push them for more.

Luka's voice was almost inaudible. "Let's give them what they want to see."

Miku nodded faintly. "Mm." She tilted her head up to meet Luka's lips and right away, she heard gasps around them. She knew they hadn't been explicitly asked to kiss, and taking that step on their own accord when Miku had always refused to do it with Kaito made it clear that the rumors weren't empty gossip. However her lover's intoxicating presence prevented her from caring, and she was very glad that Luka had consented to let this be borderline provocative. Because Miku really couldn't hold back anymore. So as the older woman opened her mouth slightly, Miku took full advantage of the invitation, unrestrainedly pushing her tongue inside her mouth and both her hands were in the pink hair as she passionately kissed her, her desires quickly coming unshackled again. One of her hands left her hair and went down her naked back again, it made Luka stiffen and break the kiss. This immediately had Miku raise herself into a half-sitting position; feeling Luka shy away awakened her dominant side. She gradually pushed the other woman off and onto her back, climbing on top of her. She couldn't care less that the crew and their fans' image of her would change with how she was boldly claiming the top position. She pushed Luka down aggressively, her lips feverishly exploring the skin of her neck.

"…Remember we're not alone…" She warned her, but Luka's hands seemed to move of their own free will everywhere on the young woman's body. She didn't shy away from feeling her rear and thighs either. She caressed the bare skin above Miku's thigh-high black stockings again.

"…Do _you_ remember?" Miku countered in a whisper, her hand following the side of her body, on Luka's ribs. She let it go to her chest, touching very softly as she kissed her neck again, this time letting herself move to what exposed skin there was of her chest. While she was fondling her through the dress and kissing her skin, Luka moved her arms around her neck, both to hold her tighter and to hide some of what Miku was doing. She thought the younger woman might have been slightly overdoing it; she was too boldly fondling her chest and the way her mouth was wandering on it was downright indecent. But what truly gnawed at her mind was that she was a bit scared Miku would end up truly forgetting the rest of the world and push it even further.

Miku could hear the photographer was still doing his job, but there was no other sound in the room. What she was very shamelessly doing to Luka and how Luka was receptively letting her do so…she knew had every single person in the room understand what their relationship was. It was fine with her; let the world know Luka was hers and hers alone.  
The photographer paused and cleared his throat before calling for a make-up artist. Miku raised her head from the other woman's chest and noticed she had smudged lipstick all over her. The young woman approaching them looked ready to die from embarrassment, and her hand shook slightly as she redid Miku's make-up. Everyone was still very silent. She quickly retouched Luka's make-up, and then glanced down at her chest. She took out humid tissues but faltered, unable to bring herself to go anywhere near her torso. Especially with the way Miku was _very_ vigilantly eyeing even the slightest of her movements.

"Here, let me." Luka kindly took it from her and wiped her chest clean of the lipstick. The young woman nodded gratefully and quickly stumbled to gather all her things. She moved everything off the set in record speed.

Luka pulled Miku to her, ready to pick up right back where they were at. She lasciviously rolled on top of Miku, giving her the submissive bottom role again and moved into a more intimate position. "You scared her." She whispered in her ear, her hand moving along her body as she entwined their legs. She pressed her thigh to her, and she could feel through their garments a very distinct heat. She had expected it, with the state Miku was in. She also expected the young woman to turn ferocious when they would be alone again.

"…You're _mine_." Miku held her tighter, pushing her core strongly against her thigh. She then gave a few faint rolls of her hips, grinding faintly against her. She didn't care much at this point if her move was noticed or not.

"You don't have to be jealous, it's not like I flirted…" Luka commented in a laughing voice.

"I don't wanna see another woman's hand anywhere near your chest." She slowly moved her lips back on her neck. Being hit with her scent instantly had her intoxicated again. With what had just gone down paired with what happened in the changing room prior to the photo shoot, absolutely anything about Luka could have sent her off reeling again. So with her body warm and her eyelids heavy, her mind cloudy and her body lumbering, Miku wished they were alone. She wanted to ravage her, and she wanted Luka to take possession of her again. And as Luka pushed her body into hers, Miku found that restraining her caresses was proving to be a _very_ trying ordeal. She couldn't help slipping a few times; very subtly feeling her nipples erect through the fabric of the dress as she ran hands her hand across her chest again, or pushing her thigh strongly into her and having the damp fabric of her underwear and pantyhose gumming the little skin exposed on her thigh. "I want you so much…this is torture…" Miku whispered in her hair. Luka purred faintly in approval. When her fingers slipped under her dress, edging towards the inside quite a bit, Luka held her breath and moved her leg to prevent her touching this part of her in public. Miku understood she had reached a limit, suddenly reminded they were in front of the camera, and gradually she forced herself to ease her caresses.  
Some tension left Luka's body as she exhaled a sigh of relief, and Miku looked up at her. Being able to read her so well made her smile very fondly at the pink haired woman, and she was returned the same doting smile. Miku raised her head slowly and in a movement that had become very natural to them, they kissed again, longingly and amorously.

"O-okay! It's a take…!" The photographer called after a moment, and their lips still stayed locked for a few extra seconds. Luka then pulled back to give her a small peck on the forehead, she then slipped out of bed and Miku straightened herself. She glanced around, only to see everyone instantly started busying themselves with their respective tasks, pretending they hadn't been gawking at the scene at all.

The small man came running towards them, panic-stricken. "What was that?" He hollered.

"…What did it look like?" Miku pursed her lips but her expression was nonchalant otherwise. She slowly slid out of bed.

"It looked like you were about to tear her clothes off!" He immediately retorted, unbelieving.

She was. She would have, had they been alone. She still wanted to. She would once they were alone again. Or at least, she would have Luka satisfy her and she'd tear her clothes off of her as soon as they got home. "…" Miku couldn't help glancing at the woman. Her eyes ran up and down her body in a swift but not subtle enough movement; she knew everyone noticed her lustful gaze, but she couldn't help herself.

Luka ignored that, her expression a mask of false innocence as she stared at the short man. "Pardon me, but if I remember correctly…you asked us for 'fits of passion'. Did we not deliver exactly what you asked for?"

He gaped at her, completely incredulous at what nerve she demonstrated. "What's going on!" He turned to Miku again, pointing an accusing finger. "You never even wanted to give a small peck to Kaito!"

"…Do I really need to spell it out?" Miku quietly sighed. "What we wrote in Magnet is…the truth…"

After a long silence in which his expression slowly crumbled, he managed to quack out: "…What?"

"Everything we wrote in Magnet is true." Miku loudly declared. "Luka and I fell in love for real. We haven't been pretending." She added, making sure everyone that could have been listening heard at least this part clearly.

There was another long silence, and the small man looked very anxious. Sweat pearled down his bald head, and his eyes darted from one to the other. "…Is this an elaborate prank?" He carefully asked.

Miku's expression didn't change as she reached for Luka's hand, her eyes still on his. She wondered who would have it in them to go to such lengths just to prank someone else. She definitively wouldn't have made out with anyone the way she just had with Luka for a prank.

Only now did realization truly seem to hit him, and his features contorted in an ugly mix of panic, indignation and anger. "No, you can't!" He outright shouted.

Miku was about to go on a furious tirade, but Luka stopped her by gently pulling on her hand. Her voice was very level as she addressed him. "Whether you agree or not, this attraction is beyond our control, Watanabe-san. We won't step back. And even if we wanted to, we couldn't." She calmly explained. She didn't make herself to be cold or hostile, but the quiet power lurking behind her composed and elegant ways greatly intimidated him. "We decided to let it be known." She decided to mention.

This last news seemed to give him the courage to protest. "You're risking your careers! _AND_ everyone who's standing here's job with it! You shouldn't have let this happen! And you shouldn't make it public!"

Miku was relieved to hear his reluctance was strictly worrying for their working future. She would have been extremely disappointed if this man she had entrusted herself to, with whom she had now worked for three years had ended up being so closed-minded. She could understand his point, she knew she would be losing some fans. She knew it wasn't an easy path. But Luka was much more important to her than all this, and their fate had been set in stone ever since the first time Luka had smiled at her. She managed to calm down.  
"…But we can't hide; a lot of people were suspicious already. And we need to be honest with our fans, we owe them at least this, and I-…I think it'd be more infuriating for them if we won't admit to what everyone can see." Miku sighed. "…and we don't want to be thrown back in other's arms. I would feel sick to see Luka anywhere near…Kamui Gakupo again." She added, a bit between clenched teeth.

He looked unconvinced, but they both could see they were making their point, so Luka decided to give another little push. "…We did try to resist, and it reflected on both our healths. You have to understand, Watanabe-san…" She pleaded in a gentle voice. "We're very serious about each other. This isn't a phase, or a caprice of our part."

He sighed. "Okay, okay, I get it. Go get changed, we'll see what the best course is starting from there." He grumbled as he waved them off.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

As soon as they had entered the changing room again, Miku hurriedly pulled her to herself, hungrily crashing her lips against hers. The young woman pushed her body into the very soft, very curvy one that still drove her mad at one glance, and she entered her mouth with her tongue. Luka's hands explored everywhere unrestrainedly, and she pushed right back with her body, trapping her against the wall. Miku gasped, gripping at her urgently. With her lover's long fingers running along her body, she felt she would lose it if something wasn't done soon about her raging hormones. She broke the kiss and with both hands Miku hurriedly pushed on her shoulders, trying to have her kneel. "Go down…please, please please! Do this for me…!"

Luka chuckled, complying with it and kneeling in front of her. "You don't have to beg me…"  
Miku pulled her dress up as Luka reached under it to pull her panties down, letting them slide to the ground. The pink haired woman considered teasing her, but with the state the young woman was in, she was afraid to actually anger her if she did. Without ceremony, she brought her lips to taste her. Luka wasn't surprised by how drenched she already was, and she gladly lapped up as much as she could. She had fantasized about going down on her so many times, Luka never felt like she had enough. She could feel Miku's hand in her hair and she parted her with her tongue.

The young woman bit her lower lip as she grinned saucily; she heard a pleased hum escape her as Luka licked her entrance. "…You like doing this, Luka…?" She exhaled quietly in a hot breath.

"…I love it." She shamelessly confessed, going for a soft bite on the inside of her thigh.

It made her twitch, and when the older woman's lips went to her core again, she exhaled deeply. Looking down at her, Miku leaned against the wall and pushed her hips against her mouth. Luka pushed against her in response, wrapping both arms around her, caressing her rear as she hung onto her body. Miku grinned again; her lover's eagerness didn't go unnoticed. "…You-nnn…you're…turned on…?" She whispered, even more roused at the thought.

She didn't pull back this time. As an answer, Luka reached with her hand between her own legs and then rested it on Miku's thigh. The young woman felt her lover's moist fingers on her skin and a shiver shook her, immediately followed by another wave of warmth. Luka was still wearing her panties and nylons; her fingers being moist after she had touched herself through them meant she was excited enough for her wetness to have soaked through the fabric. Miku bit her lower lip again; she knew what she wanted to see. This had immediately made her think of the first time she slept in Luka's bed, as she kissed and caressed her, how her heart had leapt when she'd seen her hand in her underwear. She also recalled how fascinated and excited she was when Luka had been kneeling over her, a savage look on her face as she took care of herself. Miku was starting to understand she had a real penchant for that, as the simple thought of having her do that again made the temperature of her body rise. She stared intently at the head of pink hair between her legs; her words seemed to escape her lips of their own will.  
"…Finger yourself…" She murmured.

Luka half-opened her eyes but didn't look up at her, nor did she stop licking the pink flesh. She closed them again, and with both hands, she reached under her dress. She wriggled a moment, and through her foggy mind, Miku distractedly noticed that she had managed to slip her pantyhose and underwear down, pulling one leg out and letting her discarded garments unceremoniously sag down her other leg. Luka then reached up under her dress again with one hand, and Miku saw her hips start to rock ever so slightly.  
The idea that the other woman was pleasuring herself as she knelt in front of her to satisfy her made Miku's body accelerate on impulse. A terrible wave of heat hit her, her body felt sluggish, she was panting hard and her hands in the pink hair trembled. Her unfocused mind could only think of good it felt, how much she loved what the other woman was doing to her and how much more it turned her on to simply know Luka was stimulating herself too.  
Miku raised her left leg enough to settle the lower part of her limb on Luka's left shoulder, an attempt to support herself as her knees were steadily weakening. Her body felt heavier and faint, her head spun and clouded over. Miku brought a shaking hand to her face, feeling feverish and running out of breath. As a spasm coursed through her, she bent forwards slightly, letting a deep moan escape her.

Her low voice rung in Luka's ears, and she pressed her mouth more strongly between her younger lover's legs. The air she breathed under her skirt was hot and moist, filled with a salty yet grippingly sweet smell, and as she pushed closer, she felt the skin of her inner thighs stick to her cheeks with the dampness. She fingered herself faster, not caring about staining the black fingerless gloves she wore. A surge of velvety fluids filled her mouth and her eyes snapped open immediately. There was little more than a tablespoon, and she decided to swallow before she slowly pulled away to look up at Miku.  
The young woman was sweaty, yet quivering uncontrollably. Her head hung heavily in front of herself, her eyes were lost in the emptiness, her mouth slightly agape let a bit of drool trickle down its corner. She downright looked like she was about to faint, and as she felt Miku losing her balance, Luka helped her slide down the wall to sit. She wiped the corner of Miku's mouth with her thumb and then lovingly started combing her hair with her fingers to help her relax, observing her wordlessly.

Slowly, very slowly, Miku seemed to be coming to herself. "…"  
She raised her head to look at her, and she looked unsure for a second. Then, her expression crumbled; confusion led to concern, which in turn led to distress and shame. Her eyes clouded over with tears.  
"…S-sorry…I'm sorry, I d-don't know w- I…sorry…!"

Luka was very taken aback. "…wait, Miku…why are you…?" She caressed her cheeks with both hands, then wiped her rapidly watering eyes for her.

Miku pulled her legs together, looking completely mortified. "… …I… didn't…I…?"

The pink haired woman closed in slightly, waiting for her to explain her sudden meltdown. "…?"

She sniffed, taking in a small breath. "…What happened…?" She quietly asked.

Luka thought she should have been the one asking. "…what?" Was all she could reply.

Miku blinked back tears, getting herself under control. "…I…just…?"

"…" What Luka grasped from this ambiguous exchange was that the young woman hadn't understood what had just happened. She took her hands in hers. "Maybe you don't know this because it isn't the most common, but…females can also ejaculate when they climax." She calmly explained, watching her expression closely.

Miku's eyes widened and she stared back at her, at a loss. "…" She slowly looked down again at how her legs were squeezed together and relaxed a little.

"…" She still ran her fingers in her bangs and through her curled teal hair. "…you didn't know…?" Luka very gently asked, and Miku shook her head no in a shy movement. It made her smile very softly and she leaned in to kiss her temple. "…What did you think happened…?" Even if she had a slight idea what Miku could have thought, she still inquired, her voice very kind.

There was a slight hesitation, but the teal haired young woman still went ahead and explained. "…I…felt like I completely lost control s-so I thought I…peed." She mumbled quietly, her cheeks a dark red.

She mouthed a silent, understanding 'Ah'. That had been what she thought. "Well…I can assure you, you didn't." Luka said to soothe her.

Miku exhaled a sigh of relief. "Oh…" There was a long silence before Miku dared looking up at her again. She eyed her hesitantly. She was very embarrassed to be asking this because she found there was no other option, but she still found it too disconcerting not to ask.  
"…You…swallowed it, Luka?"

She didn't bat an eyelash. "Yes."

Miku was slightly taken aback, and still unsure. She scrutinized her features. "…weren't you d-disgusted w-with…it? W-with me…?" She quietly asked.

"Of course not!" She immediately exclaimed. "There's no reason for me to be, Miku…It's the same fluids as what makes you wet, only, the quantity was a little more substantial…" Luka explained, and seeing she was still uncomfortable and embarrassed, she closed in to whisper to her. "Don't worry…I wouldn't have been mad, or have loved you any less had it been what you thought it was…" She reassuringly added, and this made the young woman look very much relieved. She leaned in to meet her lips very gently, Miku responded with the same gentleness. She pulled back after a few seconds. "Are you alright?" Luka whispered.

"I'm…okay if you are…" Miku simply answered.

She blinked. "…me?"

The young woman searched her eyes. "…Was it weird? Did it bother you?" She questioned, this time much more comfortably.

She chuckled softly. "Not at all. I take it as a compliment. So please let yourself enjoy it if it ever happens again." She climbed to kneel over her, straddling her. She caressed her naked shoulders and kissed the top of her head, then her forehead, then her temple and she could feel Miku move her hands to her hips and sides. "…How did it feel?" Luka murmured her question.

She wrapped both arms around her waist to pull her to her body. "…It was…_mind-blowing_." Miku answered as softly, lazily melting into her, snuggling against her chest.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

She knocked on the door before poking her head in. "Miki?" The blond called, letting herself in her room.  
The young woman was busy smashing the buttons of a black portable console which was making an unceasing and frenzied overlap of pew-pew sounds, coupled with bizarre 8-bit music. Miki looked very absorbed in her game, her deep red eyes fixated on her small screen. Lily wondered if the redhead had even registered her presence. Still, she sat down next to her. "Miki." She tried again, looking over her shoulder to see what was happening on her screen.

She suddenly looked very tense. "Wait, I'm almost done with this level!" She mashed the buttons harder and faster.

Pewpew-tuturulututututu-pewpew-aaaa-tuturulut BANG tuturuluttuturulut-pewpewpew-tuturututurulutluttuturulut

"…" Lily didn't get what the game was, its goal, or how to play it. She sighed and patiently waited.

After a long minute and various more odd noises arising from the small device, a triumphant-sounding music let itself be heard and Miki proudly raised her head to look at Lily. "Ok. What?"

The blond simply grinned; she found her awfully cute.

Miki blinked a few times. Lily came to talk to her, yet she stayed mute. "What?" She pursed her lips slightly.

Her smile softened and she cocked her head on the side. "…Do you wanna go on a date?" Her voice was unexpectedly warm.

Miki dropped her PSP.

Amused by her reaction, she still held back on laughing. "I thought it'd be fun." The blond commented.

"Took you long enough…" She huffed.

She raised her eyebrows. "Oh, you were waiting for me to ask?"

"I was." She accused.

Lily stared back at her. "…Why didn't you say so, if you wanted to go? I would've taken you earlier."

"…'cause asking's part of your role." Miki said as if it was the most obvious thing.

She didn't get what seemed so obvious. "What role is that?"

"The father."

She stared blankly. "…"

"Of my babies." Miki specified.

Lily scratched her cheek thoughtfully. "…I guess it makes sense." She absentmindedly answered; though if anyone were to ask her, she couldn't explain to save her life how exactly it did.

The redhead stuck herself to her in a very intrusive glomp. "So where are you taking me?"

Moving on, she feigned to give it a thought. "First to eat, and then whatever you want. Skating, karaoke, movie, shopping…what are you up for?" Lily eyed her from the corner of her eye.

Miki squeezed her tighter. "Ooh, karaoke!"

"Alright." She chuckled and the younger woman released her to pick up the little device she dropped. Lily watched her as she saved and turned it off. "Can you sing at all?" She decided to inquire.

Miki looked back up at her. "I sing along with Miku in the bath." She very seriously answered.

"Oh, getting lessons from an expert." Lily observed just as seriously.

"Yep." She nodded and stood up. "What time are you picking me up?"

Lily frowned. "…Can't we just go now?"

She puffed her cheeks in mock anger. "No! I want to change into something cute!" She declared as she folded her arms.

This made her smile. "…Okay, then I'll go change into something better too." She said as she headed to the door.

"Put on a cute dress." The redhead called.

She stopped in her track and turned to her. "I don't own cute dresses."

"Get one for our second date then." She blankly answered.

"…" She shook her head, smiling as she went to get changed.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Miku thought people had grown accustomed to the rumors about them and that they had moved on to other things. But as she exited her apartment that morning, she was proven wrong. The stares were once again piercing all through her commute, and she couldn't shake the feeling the low whispers she heard were about her. Trying not to mind them, she made her way to school. At least her locker and personal belongings weren't vandalized. Miku entered her classroom and found Len sitting in Miki's seat, with Gumi standing beside him. The redhead was nowhere to be seen and Miku assumed track team training ran a bit late, it happened occasionally. It was interesting to see her two friends waiting for them in their classroom, when neither the short boy nor the green haired girl were even part of this class. When she stepped in, everyone turned her way and the room fell silent for a short second. After a second of hesitation, Miku walked to her seat and everyone resumed what they were doing. She greeted her two friends, and immediately followed with: "…What's going on? Why's everyone weird?"

"…" Gumi took the magazine from the younger boy's hands and handed it out to her. "The rumors graduated to allegations."

"…" Miku picked it up, and leafing through it, she quickly found the story concerning herself and Luka.  
She paled slightly; she had been seen as she left Monday morning to go to school. She had been seen as she left _Luka's apartment_ Monday morning to go to school. There was a nice picture that showed her doing so. Moreover, a few staff members that were on the set of the Magnet photo shoot decided it was a good idea to explain what _they_ thought was going on.

"…They really outdid themselves, didn't they?" Len poked at the magazine. Though he _really_ wanted to ask if Miku truly had slept over at Luka's place Sunday night.

"…" Miku was busy reading the farfetched rumors about herself and Luka. And herself and Kaito, and Luka, and Gakupo too. But it was such a complicated and infuriating story, she couldn't find it in herself to finish the article. "I can't believe what they come up with…" She sighed, throwing the thing away.

Len coughed. "…But you…clearly give them something to feed on." He commented. "Evading questions about who you're dating, being seen with him, then with her…and you know, Megurine-san has a lot of sexy pictures with Kamui-san. He even says she's his lover so of cour-"

"But she's not!" Miku immediately cut in, much more aggressively than she would have liked to. She settled down very swiftly. "…Luka never even liked him to start with."

The blonde boy shrugged. "Okay well, even…if we put all that aside, there's still your 'dates' with her that fed the gossips a lot…and now…you slept at Megurine-san's place? Or is that a photoshop?" He added that last part to satisfy his own curiosity.

There was a silence before Miku sighed. "…I did sleep over."

"See? If you don't want this to happen," He pointed at the article. "you shouldn't give the media stuff to feed on. I mean, do you really get so much work you need to sleep over?"

She looked over at Gumi, then at the blonde boy again. "…It wasn't for work."

He blanked out for a second, and then crossed his arms, seemingly trying to find another reason. "Well I know she technically lives closer to both your workplace and school, and commute might be easier, but…" He looked over at the two girls.

Gumi was shaking her head in a faint movement. "Don't search for another explanation when it's already easy to understand…" She advised quietly.

He scrunched his nose. "…Uh…? Meaning?"

The teal haired young woman made sure no one was listening to their conversation before she answered in a careful whisper. "Meaning…I slept over because…we…just wanted to spend the night together."

He stared at her. "…"

And she stared back. "…"

Then a peculiar smile crept on his features and he looked away nervously. "…Uh. Miku, that's a weird way of…uh…" He laughed, glancing at Gumi, who was very impassive. "It'd…m-make us think…_things_." He awkwardly mumbled, turning to meet teal eyes again. He was unable to say it mostly because he thought his wishful thinking could be to blame.

Miku stayed as pokerfaced as Gumi. "…what things?"

He looked very, very uneasy. "…W-well that…you know. That you and her are…uh- …'cause…'cause r-really, if you say…_wanting_ to spend the night together, it'd imply…"

She stared very intently at him. "What would it imply?"

His uneasiness was quickly leaving room to the realization that this wasn't his wishful thinking. "…That you and her…" He trailed off. "…Oh." He brought a shaking hand to his mouth and felt blood trickle down his nose. "Oh wow." He covered his nose with his hand, smiling in a strange way. "Wow. I didn't expect that." He commented as he fumbled to get tissues and quickly wiped the blood. "Wow, you scored big time." He added, still unbelieving. Miku smiled slightly, while Gumi rolled her eyes. He managed to stop his nosebleed. "…I support this all the way. Wow. Awesome. I'm buying five copies of the photobook."

"Len-kun, you're starting to sound just a bit creepy." The short haired girl remarked.

He turned to her, as he finally noticed her lack of response to the news. "…You knew?"

She shrugged. "One thing led to another and Miku-chan eventually had to tell me." Gumi evasively commented.

"Oh." He glanced back at the teal haired young woman, quite in awe. Then he seemed to wake up and scooted closer to her. "Tell me one thing, Miku-chan, one thing!" He pleaded, his eyes sparkling. "…Is she as perfect as she appears to be?"

Miku rested her head in her hand. "…She's a goddess." She dreamily answered.

Len had to stuff his nose with tissues again. He took a deep breath and leaned in again. Miku randomly reflected that even though the pale blue of his eyes was the same as Lily's, his were much more expressive. "Okay, a second thing! Is the photo shoot as…_steamy_ as the staff-guy interviewed in that article seems to say it is?"

Miku felt herself blush slightly recalling the show Luka and she had put on. She hadn't seen the photos yet…and she was unsure if she looked forward to seeing them, or if she was dreading seeing them. "…I think we did go a bit overboard." She whispered.

"Like what? Give me some detai-"

"That's enough." Gumi cut in.

Len coughed and swiftly moved on to something a little more relevant. "…well…should I keep it a secret from Rin?"

Miku was brought back to earth, and her thoughts switched to the younger blond girl. Rin was still completely avoiding her. She sighed deeply. "…No. I…because I plan on…We plan on making it public. So you might as well tell her…" Miku murmured, meeting Len's eyes again. "Speaking of which…how are things with her and Lily…?"

"…She's getting over it." He offered a smile. "I think she…knows no matter what she says or does, nee-san won't change. And she-"

"Wait! wait…" Gumi interrupted, looking very troubled. "What?"

Len didn't seem to notice, and he simply glanced at her as he answered. "Oh. I didn't tell you, did I? Nee-san did her coming-out."

Her eyes widened ever so slightly. "…" Her first thought went to the number of times the blond woman had hugged her, and what thoughts Lily could have had at these moments. But Gumi stopped herself immediately; she reminded herself not to go down that path. Because Lily was a lesbian didn't mean she would automatically have inappropriate thoughts when she touched her. She reminded herself she had decided to accept Miku, and not because Miku had told her there was only Luka that she loved that way. Gumi had decided to make that effort and open herself because she came to the conclusion that one's orientation wasn't a good reason to end a friendship, no matter how uncomfortable it had initially made her.

Miku had watched her inner struggle, and she reached out to touch her arm. "…Are you okay?" She worriedly asked. She didn't want her friend to backtrack after having come so far.

Gumi gave a nod and offered her a smile. "…yeah…just…it's a shock." She then paused. "…you knew?"

"…Miki and I…knew who she was dating…and uh…" Miku coughed apprehensively. "…who she's dating now."

She found her answer a bit suspicious, but decided she would inquire later. "Ah."

"Well…anyways…" Len picked up the conversation where they left off. "Rin loves nee-san too much to let her go. So one step at a time, but she's…really making an effort to be ok with it." He explained.

Miku nodded, smiling. "…It's good to hear. Let her know I'm not holding a grudge…whenever she feels ready to come back to us, she can."

He looked very relieved to hear that and answered right away. " 'course I'll let her know." He nodded. "I think she misses you." He then added, a little more gently. Rin would never admit it, but he could read her like an open book.

The young woman felt herself soften slightly. She didn't expect that, but she was glad. "So do I…"

Len gave a small sigh. "I miss being all of us." He mumbled. "…Honestly, I didn't think...I mean, I knew it'd blow up 'cause of nee-san, but now there's you too…it's like…what next?" He laughed. And as if on cue, Miki jogged in, quite out of breath. Len moved out of her seat. "There you are, a bit more and you would've been late." He commented.

Miki wiped her brow and slumped down in her chair. "I overslept and missed track team training, I ran all the way." She exhaled.

Miku blinked unbelievingly. Miki never overslept; she hardly needed any sleep. Even when she went to bed hours after Miku did, she still would be able to meet her team at dawn. She felt a slight blush taint to her cheeks as she understood Miki hadn't come home at all that night.

"_You_ overslept?" Gumi exclaimed, incredulous with reason.

Miki nodded. "I didn't go home after my date." She casually said.

Gumi's expression fell. Len did a double-take and he nearly hit the floor. Miku face-palmed.

The green haired girl gawked at her. "…you're dating someone?" She murmured when she recovered enough to talk. She still hadn't been able to process that what Miki said implied she was sexually active.

Miki narrowed her eyes, scratching her head. The question-mark lock protruding out of it perfectly complemented her expression. "I guess I am." She thoughtfully answered.

They altogether decided to ignore that she didn't seem sure even after confessing she had spent the night with her date. "Since when?" Len almost shouted.

"Yesterday was our first date." The redhead simply answered as she nonchalantly took out her books from her bag, completely oblivious to their stares. "But I don't know if we're _really_ dating yet, like if we're an item." She commented.

Gumi and Len both glanced at Miku, who held her face with both hands. Then they exchanged a glance. "…"

"…Well, are you in love?" Gumi quietly tried asking; she hoped she was if that guy had taken her home with him!

She raised her head to look at them. "Yes." Gumi had been asking 'are you two in love', but Miki understood the question as if it simply concerned herself.

Len had understood Gumi's question as she meant it. "…well then he's your boyfriend…"

"No 'cause see-" The bell rang the start of class to interrupt her. Miki turned to her books, and their two friends were torn between demanding more answers and running back to their classrooms.

"…Let it go…" Miku mumbled. "We'll deal with that later."

With this, they jogged out to their respective classrooms. Miku stared at the back of her best friend's head. She couldn't tell what she was thinking, and she wondered if she was even aware of just how much confusion she had sown. Miku also had absolutely no idea when the best time to tell their friends the truth was.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Unmoving, with her hands on her knees, Miku observed the head of pink hair. "Luka?"

She didn't glance up. "Yes, darling?"

Miku was sitting on her bed, with her knees up against her chest. Her hands were resting flat on her knees, Luka was sitting in front of her. Her head was bowed to look at her hands closely; she very carefully applied teal nail polish on the young woman's fingers. "…You know Lily's younger sister, Rin?"

This time around, Luka met her eyes for a fleeting second before resuming her work. "I had known Lily had siblings, but I had never met them until that time we had dinner at your place." She casually answered.

"…hum."

This response prompted her to stop and look back up at her again. "What about her?" She gently asked.

Miku let a soft sigh escape her lips. "…nothing, it's just…she made a real big deal of you and me." She summed up. "She made a fuss about it before we were even together." With this, Luka glanced up at her for a third time, and the young woman knew what question rang in her lover's mind. "Rin-chan didn't know about Lily's preferences…until recently."

She was very surprised to hear this; Luka had always known that the blond hid herself from her family, and she hadn't thought she had been ready to tell them yet. "…She told them? How did it go?"

Miku very quickly replayed the scene in her head, as Lily had stepped between Rin and her. She had left before she got to see the young girl's follow up to the news, but her twin had kept Miku somewhat updated. "Bad, from what I gathered…but I heard yesterday from Len-kun that things are getting better."

Luka nodded very faintly. "I see." She went back to painting Miku's nails. "…so why are you telling me this?"

It took a moment for Miku to gather herself and ask. "…Have you ever had a situation…like this? That…you had one of your friends…that this happens…and it tears the group apart?"

She shook her head no. "…After I told Mother, I really couldn't…" She sighed, stopping for a second. "…I couldn't bring myself to tell anyone else." Luka very, very quietly said, busying herself with her task.

Miku's expression softened. "…I completely understand." She breathed, troubled. She suddenly felt a little bad for asking. "I'm sorry I thought…I thought back in England…s-since there…you had two other girlfriends…that maybe…" The young woman stopped herself, feeling the woman sitting in front of her already understood. She watched her finish her nails. "…How did it happen with them, if…?"

"Same as Lily. Both came to me." She casually answered, securing the cap on the teal bottle. "…And we kept it a secret from everyone."

There was a long silence, and Miku watched her switch the teal bottle of nail polish to a pick up another one, which she guessed was a top coat. She sat quietly as Luka carefully applied the clear coat on top of the color on her nails, making it extra shiny. Luka had completely avoided answering when she had asked weeks ago, and she couldn't resist asking again. "…So which one had you?"

Luka didn't stop what she was doing. "Again with this?" She observed.

Miku's even voice left room for no compromise. "…tell me."

"…" She took her time to finish applying the clear coat before she looked up at her. "The one I told you I thought I was in love with…and Lily." She truthfully answered.

The young woman's expression turned bitter in spite of herself. "…you said you were kids." She accused in a murmur.

"But I never said nothing happened…" Luka sighed and secured the cap back on the small bottle. "…I was with her for almost two years, Miku…by the end, we were almost your age too. Do you _honestly_ think that with the way Lily is…nothing would have happened?"

Miku scrunched her nose in displeasure. "…point made." She looked down.

The older woman tried to meet her gaze. "You're angry?"

"A bit." She grumbled, trying to distract herself and brush it off by observing her newly repainted nails.

"…" Luka stretched to rest the top-coat bottle next to the nail polish one on the bedside table. "…if it makes you feel any better…I wasn't the same person back then." She offered.

"…mm…" Miku unhappily hummed, blowing lightly on her nails.

She ran her fingers on the young woman's leg, her short shorts left her a lot of skin to caress. "…I also was a late bloomer."

Miku's eyes dropped to her chest. "So…she never got to these."

"…if you want to be blunt, yes." She smiled a bit playfully. "…and you know, Miku, you're the only one who can make me feel so…" She folded her arms to hug herself and let out a moan to express what she couldn't find the words to express; it made Miku blush a bright color. Then, Luka's expression slowly turned into something much more serious and much softer. "And you're my only love. You know it's all that matters…" She whispered as she leaned in to kiss her and they took a few minutes to make out lengthily. Luka then watched Miku shift closer, trying to switch positions without touching anything in order to not mess up her pretty nails. "What are you doing?" She curiously asked, observing her.

Miku stuck her mouth in her cleavage and sucked her skin until a bruise appeared. "Marking my territory." She simply answered before she went on to make another love bite. Doing so, she brought both arms around her waist in a very natural movement, forgetting she shouldn't be touching anything yet.

"You'll mess up your nails." Luka warned her.

"Ack!" Miku released her like she was burned and checked her nails for any flaw.

The pink haired woman laughed heartily. "It'll dry within ten minutes." She offered. "…I guess you're defenseless until then." She added teasingly, pushing her on her back. She pulled up her shirt and brought her lips to her skin for payback.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Kaito handed her a soda. With the way he looked at her, Miku could tell there were a million questions he wanted to ask. She could also guess what most of his questions converged to. Taking the can he offered, she sighed as she opened it. "…You can go ahead and ask."

He sipped from his own can. "…Is it true?" He simply inquired.

Miku slowly rotated the can in her hands, her cheeks a light pink color. "Probably everything you heard is true, yeah." She quietly said, before glancing up at him for a fleeting second. "Except the stories that imply Kamui-san or you, as you could've guessed."

The blue haired man nodded, still observing her a little curiously. "…So…you and her?" He asked again a little more specifically, even if they both knew what had been the question, and Miku having just answered it.

"…yeah." She confirmed again.

He took a gulp of his soda. After another moment, he decided to go for just another question. "So…that's her?" He pointed at her neck.

Miku's eyes widened, remembering the attack Luka had dealt on her on the day before, and her hand flew to her neck to cover the bruise. "…y-yeah." She blushed a little more.

This made him laugh. "Megurine-san's…quite the wolf, is she?" he commented.

She sucked in a breath. If he thought Luka was a female version of Kamui Gakupo, it made sense for him to think that. "…actually, most of the time, I'm the one who…usually, I'm the one who…" Miku cleared her throat. "…initiates…things." The end of her sentence was nothing but an embarrassed mumble and her eyes were stuck to the floor.

His jaw dropped and he stared unbelievingly at her. "…You…" Kaito blinked twice. "You? You do?"

"I can't help it!" Miku immediately countered, looking a bit distressed. "I mean, look at her! She's gorgeous!"

This had him burst into a fit of laughter in a second, the young woman realized how she must have sounded; she couldn't help giggling too. They quickly quieted down and Kaito nodded. "Well, I have to admit she is." He chuckled. "…I guess this explains that." He then added.

Miku scrunched her nose cutely. "What does that mean?"

He shrugged. "Just that you were uncomfortable posing with me. It makes sense if-"

"No, that's not it." She cut in, her teal eyes fixed on his. "I was fine posing with you, it's-…I was uncomfortable when I felt Watanabe asked too much out of me. Because I have a definite limit of what I can do without feeling for the one I'm…doing things with. Aside from that, I…fell in love with Luka…_deeply_. For everything she is. It really has nothing to do with you being a man or her being a woman."

Kaito seemed to think it through, then he simply nodded. "I understand."

Miku was a bit taken aback that he so easily accepted her ambiguous explanation, but she found it very refreshing that he didn't try and get her to explain what she felt beyond the fact that she was in love with Luka. Just about everyone else, even her parents, seemed to be feeling the need to categorize and look much further into it. Of course, she understood it was human nature to do so, because even she was like that with both Miki and herself. She smiled warmly at him and he bumped his can of soda against hers, returning the same smile.  
She decided to take the opportunity to ask him about something that had been bothering her ever since she had seen what state their breakup had put Lily in. "…Kaito?…I haven't seen Meiko-san around these days…how is she?"

His expression quickly turned, and he grew very serious. "…Do you know anything, Miku-chan?" Kaito eyed her very carefully. "If you do, please tell me." He pleaded earnestly, looking exceedingly worried.

Miku's fingers curled in an anxious movement against the soda can in her hands. "…" She stared tensely at him.

"…" Seeing he wasn't getting anything out of her unless he gave details, he sighed. "Meiko, she…tries to hide it from me, but it's obvious something's wrong. These days, she doesn't leave her house unless she absolutely _has_ to. Her eyes are puffy all the time, like she's been crying, and she…gets drunk to the point of being sick every night." He painfully explained. "She says she gets the blues like this from time to time but…I haven't seen her so miserable since her father died. She's obviously suffering, yet she won't tell me why." His troubled dark blue eyes searched her own vibrant teal ones. "So please?" Kaito whispered.

"…" Miku suddenly felt very sad. She understood why Meiko couldn't tell him and she felt quite a lot for both of them. From what he was saying, she was in an even worse state than Lily had been, yet she had no one to open up to; the one who wanted to help her the most was the one to whom she could _definitely_ not talk to. Eventually, Miku decided to make up a half-truth. "Meiko-san was…_really_ good friends with my next-door neighbor, a-and from what I gathered, they had a _huge_ fight. I think there's no repairing it." She murmured.

Kaito's worried expression softened slightly. "If they were friends I'm sure there's a way to…" He trailed off; Miku slowly shook her head no in a sad movement.

"…I really don't think so." She breathed and glanced up at him. "At least not right now." She immediately followed-up. "Lily, she-…my neighbor, she…also was very upset this last week or so. She really wasn't herself either."

Understanding erased every other emotion from his features, and Kaito glanced down. "…I see." He whispered, staying silent for a moment before he glanced back up at her. "What was her name? Lily?"

This unimportant question seemed to jab at her stomach; Miku found it very heartbreaking that Meiko had had to hide the existence of someone she was so attached to. "…Meiko-san never told you about her, did she?" She sadly whispered.

Kaito seemed to search his memory. "I might have heard her name once or twice…weren't they drinking buddies?"

Once again, his heedless answer caused another wave of sadness to overcome her. She cleared her throat and tried to make it seem as if nothing was wrong. "…yeah, something like that."

He hummed. "I didn't know they were so close…" He reflected quietly, seemingly wondering why Meiko hadn't talked about that woman a bit more if they were such good friends.

Miku sighed. "Neither did I…until recently, really." She mumbled.

Kaito glanced her way again. "Is there really nothing we could do?"

She shook her head in a faint movement. "…I think it's best to leave it at that. From what I gathered from Lily, I don't think they're ready to…er…t-try and patch their…friendship." Miku awkwardly explained.

Shaking his head in a despondent movement, he murmured more to himself than to her. "…She should've told me…"

The young woman still decided to try and offer an explanation. "Maybe she was scared you'd think it was silly…"

"I wouldn't, if it affects her so…" He sighed, before he threw his can in the garbage. Miku nodded very faintly, offering a sympathizing smile. "…well…thanks. I'll try to help her take her mind off this." With this, he went on his way.  
As soon as he was out of sight, she flipped her cellphone on and wrote a short message to Meiko, both to ask to see her because she was worried and to re-tell what she'd told Kaito, in order for her to corroborate things if he ever brought it up to her.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

When she opened her door, Luka was once again surprised to meet icy blue eyes. That woman really had to learn to call before showing up; she didn't seem to think she could be foiling one's plans. Luka would be expecting Miku in but two hours, and she really didn't feel like renouncing on that romantic evening.

Her expression was much too sweet. "Pleasant day to you, Luka-sama." Lily said in a strangely formal tone.

And Luka surely hadn't been expecting _that_. "…" She motioned for her to come in.

As she did, the blond removed her shoes. Her eyes still locked with the other woman's turquoise ones, she decided to cut the chase and get to the point. "…I have a favor to ask of you."

She nodded, ready for about any outrageous demand. "…I'm listening." She carefully indicated.

Lily put both hands on her hips. "Lend me a dress."

Luka coughed; she couldn't have heard right. She couldn't remember Lily dressing truly feminine. Of course, she wasn't masculine either: she had long hair, often wore heels, wasn't scared of showing some cleavage or her legs. But aside from the school uniform they had worn way back then, Luka couldn't remember Lily in a skirt, or a dress for that matter. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

Still with the same air and on the same tone of voice, she repeated. "Lend me a dress; it's for a date." A purpose added itself this time around.

"…" Even with this too-short explanation, Luka decided that since the request wasn't farfetched at all –yes, unusual for Lily, but not unreasonable nonetheless-, she could lend a helping hand. She truly had been expecting something outrageous out of the blonde. So she led her to her room and opened the door to her walk-in closet. Luka entered it and quickly shuffled through her clothes. "What are you looking for?"

Lily waited next to her bed. "A cute one." She snorted despite herself, failing her attempt at staying impassible. She was making prodigious efforts to not make a crack about Luka being in the closet. She would have, had she not been asking a favor out of her.

The pink haired woman turned to her. "A _cute_ dress?" Luka repeated, stunned. She decided to ignore how amused the blonde seemed to be, as her answer really outdid her interest in Lily's mood.

The blonde nodded. "That'd still suit me." She specified.

She observed wordlessly her for a second before she shuffled through the quantity of dresses she owned. She then selected a few, folding them over her arm. "Try these." She turned to hand her the garments she held and balked; Lily had ungraciously started undressing. "Have some shame!" She cried, turning away from her.

"Why?" Lily sniggered as she approached her to get the dresses, leaving her pants and shirt on the floor. "It's just us girls here." She wiggled her eyebrows at her even if Luka wasn't looking her way.

"…I won't dignify that with a reply." She grumbled, waiting for Lily to have slipped on something before glancing at her. "Here, I'll zip it up for you." She went behind her and did up the dress.

The blond looked at herself in the full-body mirror in the room, then down at herself. "Christ, the front of this dress is sagging on me. How large exactly did your boobs get?" She exclaimed gracelessly.

Her cheeks turned a dark red. "That's none of your business!"

It made her laugh. "You're embarrassed? I can pretty much gauge how much anyways." She commented, staring at her chest.

"Stop staring." She growled. Lily shrugged and she undid the zipper; she was in her underwear in a second. "And don't just undress like that!" Luka turned away again.

Lily grinned. "I'm showing off."

The pink haired woman rolled her eyes. "Not interested. Even if Miku wasn't around, I wouldn't be interested."

"Oh really?" Lily motioned for her to do her up, having slipped on a second dress.

"Really." She zipped it up.

The blond stared at herself for a second before she decided she didn't like herself in the second dress either. "Why?" She started undressing.

Luka had given up and simply turned away when she started taking off her dress. "You know why."

"…'cause I'm taller and I have big boobs?" Lily snorted, knowing full well the other woman's penchant for petites.

Her cheeks reddened again. "…I'll ignore this." She breathed, a little embarrassed. She quickly took a hold of herself and threw her guest a sour glare. "…Why are you even going on about this…? I know you're not even interested in me either."

Lily wasn't impressed, she didn't even seem to notice her look, busy buttoning up the third dress. "…Yeah…" She quietly agreed, still staring at herself in the mirror.

"…" Luka observed her very interestingly. She knew Lily had slept with men at some point in her life, but she also knew she only ever felt for women. "…Your date is a she, right?" She questioned, her voice gentler.

"Yep." Lily started changing again. "Never could consider a relationship with a dude." She commented.

Luka knew this. "…" She also knew the blonde wouldn't be making such an effort to dress nice if she was going on a date with just anyone. "You like her a lot, don't you?"

She motioned for Luka to do up her fourth dress. "…It was a long time since I felt like this." The blonde turned away from her as she said this, and Luka could swear she saw a troubled look in her usually cold eyes. They stayed in silence a moment, as Lily observed herself. "…I really want to please her with this…" She commented quietly, sounding a little anxious.

"…" Luka was very surprised with her behavior, but she didn't have time to comment. Her doorbell rang again, and she headed to the door.

Miku bounced in. "Hi~" She dropped her schoolbag and went in for a hug immediately.

Luka returned it at once. "You're early." She smiled, nuzzling against her.

The young woman grinned "I skipped, I told my teachers I had some work to do." She mischievously admitted as she snuggled with Luka's ample bosom. "

I couldn't wait for tonight…"

"Classes are important, Miku…" She sighed smiling.

"But it's Friday." She shrugged as if it truly was a good excuse, and released Luka long enough to step inside. As she kicked off her shoes, she noticed black ankle-boots with two inch heels, decorated with various straps and buckles. They definitely weren't Luka's style. "You have a guest…?" She glanced back up to meet her eyes, but couldn't as she was once again enveloped in her arms.

"Oh, yeah." She pretty much waved her question off. Her guest wasn't very important; snuggling against Miku was much more import

nt.

The way Luka's apartment was built, the entrance led on the open space that was the living room. Which was empty. Then a bit further was the kitchen which opened on the living-room, it was also empty. Then to the right, a very small corridor led to the bathroom, which faced the only room. Miku could see the bathroom door open from here, also empty. This meant Luka's female guest was in her bedroom. Her heart felt strangled in her chest.  
"Who?" She didn't dare pull back, she didn't want Luka to see her worried expression.

"Lily, she'll be leaving soon. She dropped by because she-"

"Hey, Luka." The blonde cut her off as she came out of the bedroom. Luka glanced behind her and did a double-take. Lily didn't seem to notice. "I need more, I really don't think these ar-" Her clear blue eyes met Miku's very wide ones. "…Ah." She looked down at herself, gloriously walking around her ex-girlfriend's apartment in nothing but her underwear. She glanced up again to meet Miku's scandalized stare. "…It's not what it looks like." She blurted.

Miku extracted herself from Luka's arms at once, gawking at her unbelievingly. "…?" Her eyes rapidly watered.

The pink haired woman shook her head in a short, alarmed movement. "It _really_ isn't what it looks like!" She reached for her.

She escaped her touch, looking outraged, hurt, and above all, betrayed. "Then what!" She murmured hoarsely.

"Miku, I'd _never_ cheat on you!" Luka immediately countered in a very firm, very resolved voice as she reached out for her again. She held her cheeks in her hands to look at her straight in the eyes. "I'd _never_! Lily dropped by to borrow a dress for a date!" She explained it as to-the-point as she could to dissipate the misunderstanding at once.

Miku's eyes cleared slightly. Luka looked sincere. Moreover, she didn't look or smell like she had sex; her make-up and hair looked perfect, her skin was cool. "…" A little more calmly, she reached to take both of Luka's hands in hers. Then she glanced over at Lily, unsure. The woman's skin didn't look flushed or sweaty either.

The blonde took it as her cue to explain herself. "Miki requested I wear a cute dress for our second date, and I don't own any." She offered, a bit uncomfortable.

Luka glanced over her shoulder at her. "Miki? Furukawa-san?"

"Yeah." She nodded.

Luka blinked. "…" She had no idea.

Miku's eyes darted between the two women. "…" She realized they were telling the truth.

Lily stared at the two of them still standing in the entrance with the door wide opened. "…" She looked down at her mostly naked body.

The pink haired woman suddenly grew irritated at the completely unnecessary confusion that had stemmed from her long-time friend's behavior. "That's why I told you to show some shame! Go back in there and put something on!" She pointed an angry finger at the short corridor that led to her room, and Lily disappeared immediately. With a heavy sigh, she turned back to the younger woman. She looked very emotional and troubled, but at least she seemed to be calming down. Carefully, she ran her fingers in the teal bangs. "I'm sorry you got scared…"

Miku shook her head slightly as she closed her eyes. She let out a shivering sigh. "No, I'm sorry I doubted you…" Though with such a baffling situation, she really had had reasons to doubt. She reluctantly met her eyes again. Those gorgeous turquoise eyes. The thought that had terrified her a few seconds ago, the guttural fear of losing Luka, overcame her in a brief upsurge again. She gripped herself with trembling hands. "I d-don't want to be but, but I… just, I just get so…scared and…_jealous_!" She murmured.

This compelled her to pull her to herself, and she immediately noticed how shaky the small body in her arms still was. "Miku. Ever since I set my eyes on you, I never even so much as glanced at another woman…" She whispered.

With her arms around her, Miku's hands clung at the back of her shirt, still distressed from the array of intense emotions she had just felt. "But I…I'm younger…and I'm short and scrawny and-"

"Stop." Luka cut in, pulling her closer. "Stop it, right now. You're not that much younger, and I think you're wonderful and amazing, and you look perfect. I couldn't find another woman more beautiful than you even if I tried." With one hand, she caressed the back of her head and neck.

She nodded very faintly, but still hung on to her as she rested her head on her torso. Luka wasn't wearing a very revealing top, but there was enough uncovered skin for Miku to be able to rub her cheek against. She breathed in deeply, trying to calm her nerves. "I- …Luka, I…I don't know what I'd do…if you…if you ever grew tired of me…"

"I would never…" She hushed. "Miku…you _know_ I love you just as much as you love me…"

In a long silence, the young woman simply nestled in her arms. Breathing in the subtle mix of her perfume and natural scent succeeded in relaxing her quite a bit, and the warmth of her body was bringing her back to herself. She exhaled softly. "…Do you get jealous…?"

Luka hugged her tighter. "I did before I even had any right to be. It made me sick when I read things about you and Kaito…before I had even met you. And it still gets to me, even though I know very well they're all lies." She whispered.

Miku's lips curled into a very faint smile. She would get the same visceral reaction when it came to the woman in her arms and a certain purple haired man. "…do you think of me every night…?"

She kissed the top of her head. "…Not just every night, I do all the time…" She sighed. "Miku, I'm…I know how you feel, I also find myself worrying about…these things, but we…can't be doing that…" She explained sadly. But she knew insecurity was part of being in love; we always fear losing what we hold most dear.

"…" Miku slowly pulled back to look up at her. "…You worry 'cause you think I'll end up leaving you for a man, don't you? I won't, we went over that."

Luka shook her head in a very faint movement. "…I can't help myself." She admitted. "But. At least I know this fear is as petty as you worrying that I'll grow tired of you because you don't feel like you look womanly enough." She pulled her back in her arms. "You're exactly what I always wished for, so stop tormenting yourself, please…"

The young woman closed her eyes. "…We both have to stop worrying…" She whispered, hugging her very tightly. "…When it's obvious how we both feel…"

She smiled and returned the embrace just as tight. "…You're right. No more worrying."

They stayed in each other's arms until they felt ready to let go, and Miku leaned up to kiss her very gently. Then, hand in hand, they headed to Luka's room, with the taller woman ready to give an earful to her guest. But as they walked in, they both abruptly stopped. The tall blond was posing hesitantly in front of the full-body mirror. She wore a very frilly, pale pink and white dress that, with her airy blonde hair, pale blue eyes and delicate features, suited her shockingly well. Except she didn't look like herself at all. Luka muffled a derisive laugh and Miku snorted. She turned to the both of them with a screwed-up face that completely destroyed the cute picture.

Lily gracelessly grunted. "Why the fuck did I even try this one on?"

**- continued in ch.16**

**I decided to illustrate one scene as a bonus. :D**

As the pixiv link didn't seem to work for most people, I went and uploaded it to tinypic after a kind reviewer's suggestion :)  
http: / / i56. tinypic. com/ 2s6t4yf. jpg (remove spaces, fucks up the links for some reason)  



	16. Chapter 16

…**So I read my previous note, and I realized I never checked back to update what I wanted to say. I'm not diligent enough, and I procrastinate,**** and I forget. But that's not why I've taken a bit longer to update this; truth is, the chapter was ready about a week ago. I've had problems with ff. net. The private messages I are sometime sen/receive are either doubled (sent/received twice, sometimes with days interval), or they don't send at all. And the dox don't send/receive properly either. Which was a problem to get it beta-read. (I ought to report those, srsly, but I'm lazy and stuff) ANYWAYS, here we are!  
To tell the truth, I intended for ch.16 to be the last one. I don't want to drag the story and lose sight of it (or otherwise, I'll probably abandon it as I did all my previous stories otherwise). But as I wrote, the thing seemed to write itself, and I was much over my words without being even near wrapping it up…hahaha. XD; So I'm not exactly done yet (lucky you). But since it's coming to an end, I've been juggling with the idea to pick another song of theirs and see what I can do with it. I'm open to your suggestions/requests, and with feedback I'll probably have started writing something else as I'll post the end of this story. :)  
With this, I want to thank again all the reviewers (and very much so people who pm me directly, even as being the procrastinator I am and not logging into ff .net nearly enough, I end up taking forever to answer.). You get me going, and I appreciate the feedback! :D  
On with the story!**

-

Miki jogged to the door when the bell rang. She wasn't done drying her hair, hadn't accessorized and hadn't picked her shoes yet. But it was she who was a bit late; Lily was on time. When she opened the door, Miki didn't expect what she came face to face with. The redhead froze completely, her eyes wide, her jaw hanging and her heart thumping.  
She never thought Lily truly would go and get a dress just to please her. She never thought she'd go for the whole package either; make-up, jewelry, purse, heels, everything. It wasn't like her to make such an effort; Lily would never change herself for someone else, just as much as she wouldn't shy away from the truth no matter how ugly it was. But there she was. And Miki swooned. "…wow…" She whispered. 

Lily grinned cheekily. "So?" She put a hand to her hip. "You happy?" 

The redhead was shaken back to reality. "…Wow…!" She beamed, obviously thrilled. She circled her twice before stopping in front of her. "…You look really pretty, Lily…" She whispered, her eyes shining.

Her smile softened; it touched her that her effort was so well received. "…I'm glad you like it…" She breathed, managing not to look too affected.

Miki let her in and started down the corridor. "You can sit, I'm almost ready." She said, trotting to her room.

Lily didn't sit on the couch, she instead followed her. "…Is Miku in?"

The redhead put on some cute star-shaped earrings and fumbled with her necklace. "Yep, 'cause she can't stay over at Luka-nee-san's place 'cause she said she can't study properly over there. And we had tests today and some more tomorrow." She then picked up her brush and hairdryer.

"…And you're going on a date instead of studying." The tall woman pointed out, grinning again.

Miki looked offended at being called out on not being as diligent as her roommate. "I already studied! Miku couldn't because of work." She explained.

"Oh I see." She made an apologetic gesture of her hand, and the young woman nodded at her in acknowledgement. The blond then pointed out the door. "Mind if I go see her a second before we go?"

"Go ahead, I'll be ready in a minute." She started blow-drying her hair again.

Lily crossed the hall and let herself in Miku's room, unannounced. "Good evening, little butterfly." She sing-sang.

Miku had heard her voice as she had been talking to her roommate, so she knew Lily was there. She answered 'Hey.' before she took the time to look up from her homework. Her eyes widened slightly when she did. "Wow, you clean up good. I never would've thought."

"It's all thanks to your beloved." She answered, reminding them both the catastrophe they thankfully had avoided when Lily had decided to borrow one of Luka's dresses. "Sorry again about last Friday, I didn't mean to scare you." She added.

Miku was set up lying on her bed with her books. She decided to sit up for a short, improvised break. "It's fine, don't worry." She stretched her arms, grunting slightly. "You and Miki are going now?"

Lily nodded. "In a few minutes. I just had something to ask you." She walked over to sit on Miku's desk. The young woman was impressed (and relieved) she remembered to not sit with her legs spread. "Your single will be released on Wednesday of next week, right?" The blond started.

Miku leaned back slightly. "Right. And we have a huge show scheduled on that day. It sold out in less than fifteen minutes."

The blonde nodded again, this information wasn't surprising in the least. She kept going. "…So then you're gonna be really busy, and we won't get to see either of you for a while, right?"

The teal haired young woman was very unsure where she was going with this, but still answered. "Right…Luka and I will be on tour for almost a month…Crypton is even going to have a private teacher accompany me through the tour so I don't fall behind in my class." She explained to give an idea of the scale of just how busy they'll be.

She was still nodding, having foreseen all this. Lily smiled a very large smile, and Miku could tell she was a bit excited. "How about we go on an overnight trip at a ryokan this weekend, everyone together?" The older woman finally suggested. "We can celebrate."

Miku raised her eyebrows very high. "That's not a bad idea." She receptively answered. Though she needed to confirm something. "But who's 'everyone'?"

Lily understood very well her question. Rin was still in a one-sided war with Miku, while Meiko…she didn't want to even think about right now. "I was thinking us three," She pointed to herself, Miku, and in the direction of Miki's room. "Luka and…the brats. And Gumi." She carefully said. Seeing Miku's expression change, she anticipated what she'd say. "I don't know if Rin'll accept, but I've been talking to her…and…I think if we tell her about the trip, it'll probably give her a kick in the ass to get her shit together and straighten out everything. She won't want to miss out." She explained.

Slowly understanding, Miku's features turned very positive. "Yeah, that's not stupid, actually." She smiled. "I'll ask Luka and Gumi-chan."

The blond looked very pleased. "I know a real nice place, I'll make a reservation, so tell me if anyone can't go." She jumped up and smoothed out her dress. "Two rooms should be enough, huh?"

Miku knew this meant that between the seven of them, this would be a four-three division. To translate, it meant hands off Luka. "It's not really private though…" She commented.

Lily held in a laugh, remembering Miki having just said that her friend couldn't study if she was over at her lover's place. "Sleepovers are fun. You and her can behave for two days, can't you?" She snorted.

A dark red stained her cheeks and Miku crossed her arms, feeling exposed. "…of course, it's not like we're…sex-crazed or anything…" She huffed defensively.

"Then I'll get us two rooms." Lily shot back, grinning. With that, she headed out. "Keep me updated!"

"Will do!" Miku called after her, before she remembered she was going on a date. "Have fun!" And that her date was her best friend. "And behave. I'm keeping an eye on you." She added. She could hear Lily laugh as she headed out. 

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The following day, on Tuesday afternoon, Miku was startled to be addressed by the oldest of the two twins as they all were leaving school. Granted, Rin had only said 'bye' as she left to go home with her brother, but it was the first time the blond girl had spoken to her in over two months. She stayed unmoving and at loss for a short second; enough time for the twins to brush past her. Miku wondered if Lily had talked to her and if it was a foreshadowing that the weekend would go smoothly. She immediately whirled around and called to her. "Rin-chan, wait!"

The girl stopped moving, but she didn't turn to face her. "…" Her brother did though, and his eyes worriedly darted between his friend and his twin.

"…" Miku took a hold of herself and stepped closer, circling the two blonds to try and talk to her face to face. But Rin didn't meet her eyes. Miku still smiled at her, exhaling very softly. "I think it's time we make up…all this shouldn't even have happened to start with…" She tried.

"…" Rin shrugged.

There was a long silence. Then, as if on a common, unspoken agreement, they all started walking to a less busy spot. Miku eyed her from the corner of her eye. "…Did Len-kun tell you?" She quietly said, glancing for a second at the boy.

The blond girl's hands gripped at her school bag a little tighter. "…That now it's for real? Yeah." Her voice was a little shaky, but had no trace of bitterness, or animosity.

Miku guessed she was nervous and uncomfortable because she didn't like the subject that much. She hoped a little that it was also because Rin regretted the way she had behaved these last two months. They stopped walking when they got to a park that wasn't very far from school on the way to the nearest train station. Len sat on a swing, but the two girls still stood. Miku felt a bit nervous at that point; she really wished for things to go well…and though Rin was finally here and willing to hear her, she didn't seem very keen on talking. "…How do you feel?" The young woman tried asking.

Rin shrugged again, obstinately staying quiet. "…"

"…" Miku didn't know where to start or what to talk about exactly. She almost wished Rin would throw an angry fit, because then, at least, they would talk it through. Then an idea hit her. Miku rummaged anxiously through her bag to fish out her iPod. "I have er-…I'm not supposed to 'cause it's not out yet but…but-…" As she turned it on and went through her albums, she continued. "I have…the mp3 of…Magnet." She offered her friend her teal earbuds. "Do you want to listen to it?" She nervously asked. 

She stared at what her friend held out to her a second, and Miku had the impression those few seconds lasted an hour. Finally, Rin took them. "…I'll at least give it a try." She murmured in agreement, and she put them on as she sat on the swing next to her brother. 

Miku started the song, and waited, her heart pounding in her chest. She had never expected that the first person besides the staff, herself and Luka to hear this song would be Rin. But she was very glad it turned out this way. Rin's willingness to hear it was a very, very good sign. Miku was so anxious, she couldn't bring herself to make conversation with Len as she waited the four minutes the song went on.

Finally, Rin slowly took the earbuds of out each ear. She stared down at her hands in her lap, still holding the little teal devices. "…it's beautiful." She breathed out, very softly.

Miku felt an incredible weight lifted off her heart. She smiled very widely. "…Thank you, I'm so glad…" She whispered, taking her stuff back.

Len stopped her by extending his hand towards her timidly. "C-can I also listen to it?"

She nodded and handed him her iPod with the earbuds. When he was off in music-world, she turned to Rin again, and there was another silence. Miku didn't know what to say next. 

Rin seemed to decide it was her turn to break the silence, and she looked up at Miku, looking a bit unsure. "…But…don't you think some parts are too…explicit?" She reluctantly muttered.

The teal haired young woman pursed her lips. "I think it's fine…" She carefully said. Luka and she had decided that they wanted to tell it as it is, and as it was…their relationship wasn't this innocent, bubbly and chaste stuff mangas tend to describe girls love as. It hadn't even really started that way; as soon as Miku realized her captivation with Luka was in fact attraction, she had felt a cruel need for her touch, her lips, but most of all, to hold her naked body against hers. The most primal and basic way love expresses itself is through lust. But…Miku thought that maybe her younger friend wasn't ready to hear that. Rin didn't understand why talking about these desires was essential because she had never been in love, and maybe wasn't mature enough to experience it to its full extent. Miku sighed softly. "Profound love is tainted with…desire, Rin-chan…" She clarified for her.

She didn't seem to like hearing it, because she made a face. "…when you…realized you…wanted…this… …Weren't you disgusted, at first?" She tried asking, scrunching her nose.

Miku raised her eyebrows slightly. She was happy the younger girl wanted to talk about it. "Disgusted? No." She answered. "…but I was very unsettled." She acknowledged.

Rin still had that displeased face. "…I hate thinking you'd do…you'd t-touch a…woman…that way." She explained.

Her expression turned slightly sour and her cheeks very red. "…You don't need to make mental pictures…" She mumbled, averting her eyes. After another second, she met her eyes again. "Would you go and imagine that sort of thing if I was with a man…? Would you actually go and imagine me and my lover in bed had it been a man?"

Now it was the blonde's turn to break eye contact to look down. "…"

"…Would you?" Miku still pressed.

She pouted. "…No…" she admitted.

The young woman was satisfied. "Then why do you now? What does it matter what I do when I'm alone with her…?" She continued.

Rin crossed her arms. "…I don't know…it's weird, and I don't understand." She stubbornly mumbled.

"I'm not asking for you to understand…just to accept it." Miku simply answered. "…I'd just like you to accept that I chose her, and I'm happy with her…that's all that matters in the end."

Her eyes still glued to the ground, she kicked the dirt, clearly unnerved. "But I don't get it!" She exclaimed.

"…" Miku brought a hand to her hip, trying to think of a way to get through this. She observed the top of the blonde head of hair bowed down in front of her, as the younger girl sat on the second swing, her head down. Miku finally decided the best course of action was to simplify this as much she could. "…I fell in love because she's a wonderful person." She stated.

Rin looked up at her. "But she's a woman." She shot back.

Miku blinked. "…A woman can't be a wonderful person?" She 'dumbly' replied.

Rin's stare turned into a glare. "You know what I meant." She reproached. "No matter how wonderful she is, you're still not supposed to fall in love with her."

The young woman sighed. "…even if I'm 'not supposed to', it still happened." She offered, her voice softening. "What should I have done, then?"

She broke eye contact, not knowing what to say. "…" In another long silence, Miku noticed it was almost ten minutes she had lent her iPod to the boy. She knew he kept listening to music to let them talk alone, but was still here if one of them ever needed him. She looked back at Rin, who finally suggested with an uncomfortable shrug: "I don't know, wait for it to go away, maybe…"

Miku nodded. "We tried that, it only made matters worse." She said, flashes of the month or so it took for Luka to give in played though her mind.

Rin somehow understood, she remembered her friend's deteriorating health. "…"

She crouched down in front of her. "…Luka completes me, Rin, and I…there's no place I'd rather be than in her arms…"

The blond tightened her crossed arms. "Men and women are complimentary; they're made to fit together."

Miku managed to stay impassive and understanding. "…But I do feel whole when she holds me." Her gaze drifted down to the ground. "The first time she touched me, she just…brushed her fingers against my cheek, and…and I knew. I knew right away." She murmured. "Something changed inside me, and I think…maybe it was that I realized I had been incomplete. I knew right away I needed her, it just took me a while to understand in what form I did…"

Though her voice wasn't as categorical as it previously had been, Rin still didn't feel comfortable. "I don't get it." She repeated.

Miku sighed, she didn't want this conversation to run around in circles. "…Like I said, you don't have to…" She looked up at her again. "Liking, loving, it's…very personal." She offered, and then an idea came to her mind. "I mean…it's the same as liking anything else. For example; colors. My favorite is teal and yours is yellow. Or food. Or clothing. Even who we choose as friends. There's no point in trying to understand, we just accept each other's tastes and choices. You don't need to understand why I love her, just accept it…then we can move on and be friends again."

Rin uncrossed her arms. "…"

Miku took that as a good sign. "…Can we do that?" She gently asked.

"… …I guess." She pursed her lips and timidly glanced her way. "…but it makes me uncomfortable if you kiss and stuff." She added awkwardly.

She straightened herself, simply happy they were finally getting to a compromise. "We won't do it in front of you."

"But it'll probably be everywhere with your new song." Rin reminded her.

Miku looked down again. "Oh…yeah." She breathed. After a short silence, she glanced at her. "…Well…is it really so awful?"

"…it's…_wrong_." She clumsily expressed.

Miku was a bit hurt. "…but why?" She whispered sadly, trying to understand.

Rin just shrugged, unable to explain.

The young woman kept observing her. "…I wouldn't say it if I did it for scandals and cameras…but I really do have deep feelings for her, Rin-chan. How can you find it so wrong?" She explained, her voice still slightly pained. "Isn't love important? Isn't it better that I kiss a woman I love than a man I don't?"

She glanced her way. "…I guess."

Encouraged by this, Miku closed in slightly, very hopeful. "Could you…instead of seeing the more unconventional part, could you try and see the conventional part?" She suggested, and since Rin didn't seem to get it, she explained. "Instead of plainly seeing that we're two women, could you try and see that we're two people who love each other and that it's normal for us to want to kiss and be together?"

She stared for a second and her blue eyes widened just slightly. "..." She turned her eyes back down to the ground, seemingly evaluating the idea. After a few seconds, she turned to Miku again and offered her a timid smile. "Yeah…yeah, I think if you put it that way, I'll…be fine."

A huge relief overcame her, and her heart warmed instantly. "Thank you…" She whispered; her eyes watered slightly and she repressed the urge to glomp her, knowing she might ruin everything if she did. "It means a lot to me." She added and Rin simply nodded before she stood, dusting her skirt. Miku's eyes went to the girl's twin and she noticed he was still using up the remnants of her iPod's battery. "…" She swiftly pulled it out of his hands; her movement also unplugged the teal device from his ears.

"Hey!" He called, feeling cheated.

Miku glanced at the screen. "…You put Magnet on repeat?" She noted in amazement as she turned the player off.

"I think it's my favorite song yet." He simply answered, smiling.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Miku headed straight to Luka's place; she was too eager to tell her about what had just happened and she didn't need to drop by her own apartment anyways, she had left some clothes and basic essentials at her lover's place. When she got there, she was surprised to get no answer at her door; usually, the other woman would be home by then. But since Miku hadn't previously told her she would come, she shrugged it off and pulled out the keys Luka gave her to let herself in if this ever happened. Leaving her shoes at the entrance and her schoolbag in the living room, she circled the place. It was the first time she was alone in Luka's home. With a mischievous grin, she decided to go ahead and explore a bit…starting with the most interesting: her bedroom.  
Miku scanned the room with her eyes before she headed to the closet. Everything was, as expected from Luka, sorted out in perfect orderly fashion. The sheer amount of clothing and shoes she owned was staggering and Miku quickly shuffled through the dresses, making note of her favorites. She then closed the door and moved on to the dresser. She first went to the jewelry box, and she noticed many very beautiful necklaces she had never seen her wear. Then remembered Luka always wore the teal butterfly and smiled to herself. She picked up one after the other the random bottles and creams on the top of the dresser, reading what they were supposed to be used for. She noticed a clear purple bottle of perfume and picked it up. She brought the bottle close to her nose and smiled. It did smell like her.  
She moved on to the drawers, and came face to face with lingerie, of which the amount also astounded her. Out of curiosity, she picked up a bra at random and checked the size on the label. Her eyes bulged and she put it down again. Seeing the numbers made her almost dizzy. Closing the drawers, Miku decided to stop her snooping and made herself comfortable in the living room. She determined that getting rid of her homework was the best thing to do at the moment. She pulled out her school books and a bag of yogurt and green onion flavored potato chips. She diligently got to work while she waited. Only about an hour later did the door click open; Miku jumped up and trotted to the door. "Welcome home! I'm almost done with my homework then we can-" She stopped dead in her track, her eyes wide. "Where have your boobs gone? !"

"…" Luka closed the door behind her and unzipped the loose sports jacket she was wearing. She wore a sporty-looking shirt, and though a bulge was more obvious that way, her chest was still very compressed. "…I'm wearing a sports bra, Miku." She held back on laughing.

Miku's eyes were still wide as saucers. Since she didn't need one, she didn't know sports bras could really constrict and flatten breasts this much; with her jacked zipped up, Luka had almost looked flat. "Oh my god…" She went and patted her compressed chest. "Oh, and you sweated…" She also noted. 

She nodded and bent to untie her running shoes. "I was at the gym." Luka commented.

The young woman blinked a few times. "You go to the gym?"

She nodded again. "Three to five times a week, depending." She removed her shoes and socks before she stood again.

Miku stared silently. "…" She quite liked how Luka looked with a ponytail.

The woman picked up the small bag she had temporarily rested on the floor. "…What?"

"Nothing…it's just that I thought your body was perfect without you working for it." She simply commented. If she thought about it however, it made sense. Miku didn't work out outside of what school imposed on her. But Miku was very lean and skinny while Luka, on the other hand, was much fleshier and probably needed some exercise to keep everything firm.

Luka smiled and leaned in for a prolonged, very gentle kiss. She then walked passed her. "I've always worked out. When I graduated from college, I started going to the gym because I felt stagnant not working out with my club." She commented.

This reminded Miku of something she had wanted to ask her. Luka had turned twenty-one a few weeks before they met, she had been working full time and still was. She was too young to have finished university. "You didn't go on to higher education, did you?" She randomly asked.

Luka was a bit taken by surprise, but still answered. "I wanted to take a year off, mostly because I had no idea what I wanted to do. I also wanted to take my time to choose a university here because I missed Japan. But then, at nineteen, I got recruited by Crypton, and my plans were delayed." She explained.

Miku nodded. "Oh." She followed her to her room. "So what club were you in?"

The tall woman dropped her bag next to her bed. "Fencing."

Miku froze and brought her hand over her heart very dramatically.

She removed her jacket, hung it in the closet and then turned to head to the bathroom. Then only did she notice her. "…What?" She smiled.

"You're perfect."

Her smile widened and she rolled her eyes as she brushed past her again. "Hardly, but I do try." She commented.

Miku followed her to the bathroom. "…So why didn't you shower there?"

"I commute by car, so it's not like I bother anyone by going around in sweaty sport clothes. And the locker room makes me uncomfortable." She shrugged. "Moreover, people know who I am, and I know they stare. I stopped changing or showering at the gym ever since I've had…problems after my first single was released." She quietly added as she took out a clean towel out of the cupboard.

Miku, reached out for her arm and it stopped Luka's movements. "…Problems?"

"Nothing too big." She reassured her. "A woman tried to take my picture; I don't know if she intended to use it for…herself or the web. But…mm…it could have turned out quite ugly."

A wave of cold hit her. Both options were offensive to the young woman, and she felt her stomach tighten. "I get it." She whispered. Luka seemed to notice her mood and she took her hand. Miku looked up at her, wanting to move on. "…Soooo, since you don't shower there, I'm the only one who gets to see you naked." She cheekily remarked.

Luka laughed. "Exactly."

She pulled her closer. "…Are you gonna shower now?" Miku wrapped her arms around her waist. She found it pretty weird to hug her and not have her soft chest mold to her own body.

The taller woman feebly tried to make her release her. "Yes, I sweat a lot and I feel disgusting." This was why she didn't feel like having Miku so close.

But she still stuck to her. "Can I shower with you?" The tone of Miku's voice had changed; it was a bit lower and quite suggestive in spite of herself. Luka looked down at her, staying silent. The young woman was surprised she didn't accept right away. "I'll scrub your back for you?" She offered.

The pink haired woman couldn't help shooting back. "Only my back?"

This made Miku grin, and she moved her hands to her ass. "…Your whole body?" She suggested, massaging her through her shorts.

She closed her eyes and let her do as she pleased. "How thoughtful of you." She commented. But when she felt Miku's hands move up her hips and down her thighs, tugging at her shorts, she was prompted to slip out of her grasp. "Sorry…I have to decline. Another time, mm?"

Shock reflected on her whole body and expression. "What…?" She incredulously whispered. Luka would usually be very responsive, and Miku's stomach turned in worry. Had she done something wrong? "…Why?"

She offered an apologetic smile. "…I'm on my period." Luka shortly explained, and Miku's face fell. "But I should be done before our trip this weekend…" She immediately added, thinking that it would comfort her to know that she would still be able to bathe in the onsen with her.

Miku shook her head. "…but that's unfair!" She still called, and her outburst made the other woman jump slightly. Miku looked miserable, she had really looked forward to getting it on; she had tried to get rid of her homework quickly exactly for this. Moreover, in the following days there were other impediments. "If you're not done before the weekend, we…we'll have to behave through the trip and then I'll be on mine next week!" She explained as she counted the days on her fingers.

"…Don't make such a fuss about it…" Luka laughed.

"B-but…" Miku bit her lower lip. Over the course of the last few weeks, she had gotten used to being intimate with Luka almost every day; most of the time at night in one of their rooms, but sometimes also during day time...in other spots. Yet her rapid count amounted to the next ten days or so as off-limits. It staggered her how much of a trial such a short period of abstinence sounded to her when not so long ago, she had no sex life and hadn't felt the need to have one either.

She leaned in to gently kiss her forehead. "It's not like there's a wall between us, you know. I can still take care of you this week…" She patted the teal hair gently. "And we won't always have to bear with two weeks of this…it won't take much time before we're in synch."

Miku blinked a few times, not understanding what she had last said meant. "…what?"

Luka leaned against the bathroom counter. "Do you and Furukawa-san get yours at the same time?"

She didn't get why she asked, but still answered. "We do, actually." Miku had never thought twice about it why it happened that way. Miki said it was because they were the same person, but the teal haired young woman didn't put much faith in that hypothesis. Though recently, she doubted for a fleeting moment. On top of getting their period at the same time, they were about the same height and weight, wore the same size from underwear to shoes and though Miki's voice was a little more boyish, they sounded similar enough for Miku's mother to mistake them for each other. When they both had fallen in love with older _women_ and had their first time on the same night, Miku almost gave in to her best friend's theory.

Luka's voice brought her back to earth. "It's because you lived together for a while." She explained as she untied her ponytail. She quickly combed her pink hair down with her fingers. "Females who spend prolonged periods of time together end up getting their periods at the same time. It's basic biology, it's called menstrual synchrony."

Miku made an o-shaped mouth as she added up all the information. "…I see…And since now I spend much more time with you than with her, we'll get it at the same time."

She nodded. "We probably will."

The young woman sighed and rested both hands on her hips as she stared back at her. This probably was the only flaw she could find with both of them being women. She stepped closer and hugged her again. This time around, Luka also wrapped her arms around her. Miku leaned in and they kissed in a comfortable manner, meeting each other's lips gently a few times. She then nuzzled against the taller woman's neck. "So…can I still grope you during that time?" Miku innocently asked.

She ran her hands on her back. "…if you want to."

"Won't it be frustrating for you?" She glanced up at her.

"…I can deal with it…" She mumbled. She would feel cruel to deny her this on top of it all, when Miku already was so dejected. Moreover, Luka knew she would also want to be able to caress her if and when the roles were reversed. She glanced down to meet her eyes. Miku didn't seem ready to believe her.

"…you can deal with it?" She confirmed again.

The older woman shrugged and released her. "If it becomes too much…I'll use the showerhead to take care of myself…cleanly." She mumbled a little embarrassedly.

Miku raised her eyebrows and looked over at the bathing area before turning to her again. "…you…use the shower head to…?"

Her cheeks were slightly red and she averted her eyes. "…sometimes…"

"…" She cocked her head to the side. "…how?" As she had virtually no libido before she met Luka, the few times she had relieved herself had always been very clumsily and very quickly in her bed. She had never used any object or approached any type of pornography. So she didn't get it.

"…How?" Luka repeated skeptically. But from the look she gave her, she quickly gathered that Miku really didn't know, and Luka walked to start up the water, figuring showing her would be more effective than words. She then picked the shower head and twisted the device to change the spray pattern from rain to a water jet. She put her hand underneath to demonstrate how strongly the water hit her palm. "…Water can provide a very nice pressure."

What a revelation. Miku put her own hand under the water, trying to imagine the feeling down there. "…so, it's effective…?"

Luka shrugged and turned the water off again. "…I climax within a few minutes." She answered, still embarrassed.

She nodded, a little impressed. She decided to try it at some point. Probably when she would be in her own cycle and would be undoubtedly fed up with her hormones. She knew she would either have to be apart from Luka or find a way to relieve herself if she didn't want to lose it. And there was no way she would go for the first option. She wondered if Luka felt the same at the moment. She wondered if…by the time Miku could have her way with her, if she endured the next week without using this, if Luka would finally blow up. If she would finally see Luka completely lose her mind and abandon herself to pleasure. She observed her very closely. "Tell me, Luka…let's say you behave and don't 'take care of yourself'. If you build it up, how much wilder would you get when I can finally touch you?"

There was a long pause in which the tall woman just stared back at her. "….I don't know, I…never went a long time without relief…"

Miku closed in a bit more. "…would you go crazy?"

She stepped back. "…"

And she stepped closer. "…would you scream?"

A little embarrassed and wanting to move on, Luka started undressing. She pulled her shirt over her head. "…I don't know, why are you asking?" She answered, turning her inside-out t-shirt back how it should be.

Miku tried to meet her gaze, but Luka had half-way turned her back to her. "…I want to feel you completely let go and…I also wanna hear you scream in pleasure."

"I do sometimes." She murmured, removing the butterfly jewelry.

The young woman took her arm, stopping her movements for a second. "No, I mean…really scream. When you moan, it's never very loud."

Luka just brushed it off and went on to remove her shorts. "…I don't think I'm a screamer…"

"…I just think you need to let go." She said as she watched her pull her elastic sports bra over her head. "You're so afraid to lose control, you're always keeping everything -especially yourself- in check. You never hand over yourself to me completely, even when I do my best for you to relax and just enjoy. I know you're a perfectionist and everything needs to be spot-on, but sometimes it gets a bit ridiculous. You don't need to be thinking of anything else when I'm making love to you." She explained. "You really have control issues."

She turned to her swiftly. "I do not."

Miku was almost distracted by the frontal view she offered of her panties-clad but otherwise naked body. "Yes you do!" She accused as she pointed at the clothes the older woman had just removed. "You folded your dirty clothes!"

"…" Luka stopped for a second and looked at the clothes she had sweated in. Indeed, neatly folded and now resting on the other side of the sink her clean towel was. "…" She stared a few seconds, wondering the point of it, but quickly gave up on herself and turned to Miku again. "…Fine, you're right. I might have _some_ issues."

"That's why you need to learn to let go…it's not good for you to never relax." She said a bit more quietly. "Plus…it makes me feel like you don't trust me fully." Miku mumbled, as her expression turned into a cute pout.

Knife to her heart, and the pink haired woman closed in again. "…But I do trust you, Miku…" She gently answered as she reached to entwine their fingers together. She searched her eyes a moment before she went on to try to explain herself. "I'm sorry…I can't help it, it's just that I…I've been like this for too long." She loosely rationalized. "The worst part is I know why I'm that way, and it has nothing to do with you."

"…I know it doesn't…" She whispered.  
Miku had been connecting the dots ever since Luka had broken down in her arms. Because of Lily, Miku had learned Luka had been a timid child to start with; keeping to herself and afraid of the others. Then, what her mother had done to her obviously and with reason had left a deep scar on her. Miku supposed that somewhere deep down, when she moved away, Luka had probably made the subconscious (or very conscious) decision to start anew with this other life offered to her. Miku also believed that the woman holding her hand right now was the result of this life-changing decision a younger version of Luka had made to not be fragile, shy, and especially, flawed in any way. Luka made herself into the perfect woman because that was the solution she had come up with to protect herself from being hurt again. It was quite a logical conclusion; if she was perfect, her father and everyone else would love her. But it had turned into a double-sided knife as this need to be absolutely perfect had grown into a second nature. Luka wouldn't even realize when she was being guarded, and now she wouldn't loosen up, even knowing there was no danger of getting hurt.  
"…I think I understand, Luka…why, how you're like this." Miku quietly said. "But…all this, it's...it shouldn't be a problem with me…" She observed her a bit sadly. "…especially not when we're alone…"

She absentmindedly observed their joined hands, reflecting on how dead-on the younger woman was. "…you're right. I'll…" She breathed, meeting her eyes again. "I do trust you, Miku. I'll do my best to let go and…surrender myself to you." She whispered pulling her in her arms, in an intimate embrace. The young woman pressed her lips against hers very tenderly, and Luka could feel her hands move on her skin. Even if she was virtually naked, there was no lust lurking behind her movements. Miku trailed her fingers in incredibly gentle caresses. Luka slowly moved her arms around her neck, basking in her presence until they were both ready to let go. When they finally pulled back, they smiled very fondly at each other, and Luka gave her a small peck on the lips before issuing her order. "Now get out."

Miku blinked and frowned. "…eh?"

"I need a little privacy." Luka explained.

She was just a little offended; she had seen her naked plenty of times, and she liked the view. "Since when?"

The taller woman gave her a look. "…Since I have to dispose of my tampon before I get in the shower." She said as she released her.

"Ah, okay." She didn't need to be told twice, and Miku headed outside before Luka locked the door behind her. Miku started to head back to the living room, intending to let her shower in peace, when she remembered something. She trotted back to stand in front of the door. "Don't…use the shower head to…to…self-service yourself!"

Her voice was slightly muffled because of the closed door. "…I wasn't going to."

She knocked two times, still not satisfied. "Promise me you won't do it at all for the next few days!"

There was a pause. Then: "…What?"

Miku frowned and glared at the door. "Promise me!" She loudly demanded. "I want you to be the most worked up you can be when I can make love to you again!"

She couldn't hear it very well, but she thought Luka had sighed. "…Fine, I promise." She answered.

Miku smiled widely. "No matter what I do to you or have you do to me, okay?"

The lock turned and Luka opened the door; she had her towel around her naked body. "Wait, you intend to tempt me?" She felt tricked, it showed on her features and in her worried voice.

Miku thought she had no reason to be concerned. "Yes. I really, really want you to be ready to burst when I finally can make love to you." She was still smiling. It seemed she had completely forgotten how much she had suffered herself between the first changing room episode and the moment Luka could finally give her what she had needed that night at her parent's house. "It's too late to step back, you promised." Miku reminded her.

Luka stared apprehensively. "…"

"…I'll give you a real treat…" The young woman reached to poke her cheek. "…after." She said to cheer her up.

It didn't succeed, and her expression didn't change at all. "…" She considered going back on her word.

So Miku made puppy eyes. "…please, it'd make me really really happy."

Luka felt herself starting to give in; she was really weak when it came to pleasing her young lover. "…" She pursed her lips, more unhappy with herself than with Miku. "You know, I could decide to get revenge when you're on your period." She simply gave out as a warning.

Miku blinked a few times. "…I know, but you won't." She flatly answered. Her big eyes shone with something the older woman wasn't too sure she liked.

Luka wondered for a short second if she was possessed by something evil. "…What makes you think I wouldn't?" She carefully asked.

She smiled an ominously sweet smile. "You're too nice to make me suffer that way." Miku explained.

Luka was unimpressed, and she narrowed her eyes. "Implying you know I'll be suffering, and you're not nice?" She shot back.

As if this hurt her, she brought a hand to heart in the same dramatic gesture she'd done earlier for other reasons. "It's for a greater cause." Miku defensively stated.

A greater cause, she said. After a long stare in a long silence, the taller woman decided to check with her again the purpose of all this. Maybe she had lost some part of their conversation along the way. "…Is the greater cause making me lose it in bed?"

Miku nodded firmly. "Yes."

After another moment she bent forward a little, observing her closely. Miku simply gazed back at her. Luka poked the side of her head. "…Asmodeus, are you in there?"

She scrunched her nose cutely, offering her a puzzled look in answer. "Who's that?"

"The demon prince associated with lust." Luka muttered, still observing her closely.

Slowly, a smile etched itself on her lips. A very wide smile. "…Oh, that's good. If I'm possessed by a demon…" She took a step forward, moving to wrap her arms around her. "…then, it wouldn't be surprising if I did devilish things…would it?" She whispered, her hands crawling up through her pink hair and on her naked back. She stuck her mouth to her neck and sucked strongly enough to bruise her skin as she scraped her nails down her back. She felt her tremble in her arms and her grin as she released her was borderline evil. She met Luka's now lustful gaze. Miku's voice very low and very quiet; she brushed her lips to hers. "…Go wash yourself…" She simply said. "…And…don't break your promise, _darling_."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Thursday evening; this was their third date, and this time around, the redhead had requested they go dance. Lily had taken her to a lively club she knew. The evening had barely started and there were already vultures circling them. Doing their best to ignore them and have a little fun, they had simply moved on a little further away on the dance floor. Neither of them were very surprised that a few adventurous fellas would try to dance with them or pick them up, so they simply brushed it off. But when the tall blond left her younger date a second, intending to get them some drinks, an untiring stranger decided that since the wolf was away, this was his chance to try and sweep the cute redhead off her feet. Needless to say, Lily wasn't pleased when she got back. So after telling him off in a rather indecorous fashion, provoking him with her complete lack of diplomacy, it wasn't long before things got out of hand. A very beefy bouncer kicked them out in no time, but not fast enough to save the poor guy.

Miki stuck close to her, grabbing her arm to try and soothe her. "You didn't have to break his nose." She still remarked.

"Bastard doesn't know what no means, reaped what he sowed!" She fumed, quickly walking down the street in the general direction she remembered she had parked her car. "If he would've so much as-"

"Lily, I'm okay…" She cut in. Yes, he'd been insistent, but not inappropriate beyond that. Lily was the one who'd truly started the fight, stepping heatedly between them and throwing an impressive right hook before he even realized she meant business. On one hand, Miki felt a bit sorry for the guy, on the other, she couldn't help but be in awe at how protective of her the blond was. Lily was a laid-back person, yet she deployed impressive efforts and demonstrated a fierce protectiveness. It made Miki feel a little special.

The more she walked, the more she slowed, and eventually, Lily came to a stop. She turned to the young woman who still hung onto her arm. "I'm sorry, we shouldn't have gone there." She more gently said.

She shook her head. "I really wanted to dance, it's not your fault." She smiled and started walking again, pulling her to follow. The clock read only eight thirty, and Miki wasn't ready to head home yet. A store caught her eye and she pointed towards it. "It's still early, let's go get an ice cream!"

Complying with her demand, the older woman followed her. Once they had their frozen dessert in hand, they sat at an empty table on the store's terrace. Miki had picked a large cherry flavored sundae, topped with a glorious maraschino cherry, while her date had ordered a much humbler size of a lemon and honey sundae, also topped with the candied cherry. Though her own dessert was an over the top cherry-flavored galore, Miki greedily stared at the other woman's treat. "Can I have your cherry?"

And in Lily's mind, it sounded too funny not to turn it into something else. "Met you a bit too late for that, Luka claimed it years ago." She casually answered, grinning soppily.

"…" It took a few seconds for her to understand what she meant and Miki frowned. "You know what I meant!"

She picked it up, grinning a little wider. "If you want it, come get it." She dared her, popping the thing in her mouth.

Despite being in a public location, Miki didn't hesitate. She grabbed her shirt and pulled the blond closer to be able to meet her lips. She found the cherry in her mouth and managed to snatch it. She pulled back just enough to munch on it with great satisfaction, her hand still gripping the front of her shirt tightly. Miki licked her lips. "You thought I'd back down because there were other people?"

Lily was smiling, observing her. "Wasn't sure if you would. I thought fifty-fifty." She said, kissing her again.

And Miki indulged, gradually releasing her shirt. She met her eyes when the other woman pulled back. "Were you testing me?"

She shook her head faintly. "Nah." Lily leaned back lazily in her chair. "I just wanted a kiss, and that cherry was your reward. I don't care whether you want us to be out or to keep it a secret." She explained.

The redhead blinked, her expression blank. "Miku knows."

Lily was never sure if the young woman was serious whenever she gave her that look. "…I know she knows. Luka also knows." She simply answered.

Miki had started engulfing her sundae. "Oh, she does?"

So she started eating too. "The dress I wore on our last date was hers." Lily commented.

"Oh, she has good taste." Miki replied, now half-way through her ice-cream.

She nodded, already abandoning her almost untouched dessert. "So, does anyone else know?" She carefully asked. She knew Miki understood her question was specifically aimed to know if the two blond twins knew.

Miki shook her head. "I don't think so."

"…" Lily gave a nod, sighing. They finally knew the truth about her, and she had always thought that once this ordeal would be over and done with, she would never have to worry about anything in that realm again. But now that she was dating one of their close friends, Lily felt she was back to square one. Nonetheless, she knew that sooner or later they would have to tell them. Watching Miki eat the last bite of her treat, she slowly stood. "…Let's go home, hum?"

The redhead nodded, licking her fingers, and followed Lily to her car. Driving home, they made small talk, but they weren't very far and the ride was a little under ten minutes. Walking up the stairs, the blond was a bit surprised that her date was heading to her own place. She grabbed her hand gently. "…I want you to come home with me." She requested. Lily had the impression her voice sounded a bit needy, and she hated it.

Miki was stunned hearing that tone from the usually very nonchalant blonde. She slowly turned to her. "…It's a school night…I missed track team two times already because of our two other dates…" She explained. "I might be in real trouble if I miss a third time in a row."

"…" Lily pulled her in her arms, hugging her very tightly. They were standing outside, about half-way between both of their doors. The darkness was broken only by feeble glows given off by a very spread out row of ceiling lamps. She felt the young woman's arms slowly wrap around her and Lily realized her heart was beating furiously.

Miki closed her eyes and moved her head to rest comfortably on her chest. "…I can hear your heart." She whispered.

She wasn't surprised. Lily felt her fingers grow cold with anxiety, and her face warmer with discomfiture. "What is it saying?" She quietly asked.

The redhead waited a moment, listening. "…it's…" She opened her eyes but didn't look up at her. "…scared."

She felt herself tense. "…scared?" Her voice was almost inaudible.

She nodded faintly. "Mm." Miki closed her eyes again and turned her head slightly to bury her nose in her shirt. "shhh, you don't have to be scared. I'll take care of you." She whispered again, as if she was speaking directly to her heart.

Lily felt it skip a beat, and then it thumped harder than ever. "…" She kissed the top of her head very gently, breathing in the fruity scent of her hair. "…Do you know why it's scared, Miki?" She gently asked.

After a moment of reflection, she pulled away an inch. "…because…" With her eyes lost, she racked her brain. "…because…" She repeated. "…why are you scared, Lily?" She backed enough to look at her.

She exhaled nervously. "…Do you get scared, when you've got something important to do or…say?" 

"…" Very slowly, her jaw went slack to leave her mouth slightly agape. "…" Miki then delicately wrapped her arms around her neck, pushing up to stand on her toes. "You don't have to be scared, Lily…" She echoed what she said a minute earlier as she had been talking to her heart. "…I'll take care of you…"

She stared back at her. "Isn't it my role to be saying stuff like that?"

Miki wasn't in the mood to play, and she searched her eyes anxiously. "It's fine this once, it'll be our secret." She said.

Lily nodded and pulled her back to herself, resting her cheek back on the top of her head. "Okay then."

The young woman waited another moment in a silence she found unbearable. "…You have something important to say, Lily?" Her hands gripped at the back of her shirt, and she couldn't keep her voice from shaking. Because Lily leaned her head against hers, she felt her nod. So she pulled back once more to look up at her. Her eyes shone with anticipation and excitement. "…I'm listening." She murmured. 

So she couldn't help blurting something stupid. "Marry me."

"…Don't be goofy in moments like this!" The redhead whined, shaking her in protest.

Lily laughed quietly, trying to stop her attack. "…sorry sorry, I messed up." She apologized, then straightened herself and kissed her gently. "I love you, Miki." She whispered, and she watched her expression go over the moon. The younger woman hung onto her like she wanted to fuse her body with hers, and her eyes watered with joy. She buried her face in her chest, and Lily hugged her head very gently. She held her until she relaxed and looked up at her.

Miki was a few inches too short to kiss her herself, so she tugged gently on locks of blonde hair to have her bow slightly. When Lily complied, she pressed her lips against hers, enjoying her a long moment before she pulled back. "…I still have to go home, but…next time, let's make babies." She whispered, smiling.

"…I'll try my best." She nodded solemnly.

So Miki also took a very serious air. "I want one girl and one boy and then twin girls."

The blonde frowned. "Four?" She pursed her lips. "I'm not sure I can take care of that many kids."

The short girl narrowed her eyes. "You'll learn to deal with it." Her tone was very final.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

A mass landed on her bed, and the teal haired young woman's eyes snapped open in a second.

"MIKU, MIKU, MIKU, GUESS WHAT!" Her best friend's piercing, ecstatic voice bellowed.

She wasn't awake or aware enough to understand a thing. Woken up the way she had been, she was also in a state of utter shock. "Wh-wha…wha…" She tried to sit up, but Miki's weight prevented her to do so.

The redhead didn't really care, she bounced with energy, making the mattress follow the movement and its occupants with it. "Lily said she loved me!" She happily declared.

She brought one hand to her face and groaned slightly, having only half-registered the information because of her state. "Th-that's great, Miki, b-but…don't let yourself in my room when you know Luka's over…" She mumbled.

Miki glanced over at the pink haired woman, who had sat up, holding the covers of the bed to herself. Her wide turquoise eyes made her look downright traumatized. The redhead didn't think it was a big deal. "Oh but I saw the wrapped tampon in the bathroom's trashcan. I know she's on her period and you wouldn't do anything." With that said, she rolled off Miku to lie between the two of them.

As much as she loved her best friend, Miku found it a bit awkward to have her lying in bed between herself and Luka. "…"

"Lily said she loves me!" She squealed again, her eyes darting from one to the other.

Having recovered enough, Luka smiled at her. "Congratulations, Furukawa-san."

She frowned deeply, locking her deep red eyes with hers. "I told you to call me Miki."

So Luka tried again. "Congratulations, Miki-sa-"

"-chan." She cut in.

"…Miki-chan." She corrected herself again.

"Thanks!" The redhead beamed, bobbing with ruffling energy once more. Her movements reverberated in the mattress, so it made the two original occupants of the bed bob with her. Miki made herself comfortable and stared at the ceiling as she decided to start explaining how it went. "So then, we went dancing and it was really really fun but then there's a guy who was flirting with me and she actually got into a fight with him and then we got thrown out so we decided to get a sundae and we talked a bit and tonight I could see she was different today but I didn't say anything because I wasn't sure what was different-" She ran out of breath and almost started hyperventilating.

"Breathe Miki, breathe…" Miku reminded her. "Also, comas and periods." 

She nodded excitedly and took a deep breath again. She glanced at Luka, then at Miku. "So then, we decided to go home. And then we walked up the stairs, and I was about to-" She frowned and turned to Luka again, blinking a few times. "…you're naked?" She blinked. She hadn't noticed the way Luka held the covers of the bed against her body until now.

"No." She immediately answered; she had hoped the redhead wouldn't notice her condition. "I'm…only missing my top." She murmured, thankful that the darkness probably hid her blush completely. "...Miku's request." Luka added in an even quieter voice.

She turned to her roommate. "What? But you couldn't do anything."

Miku was also blushing. "…Her skin is really soft! I just like sleeping like this s-so when we snuggle…" She trailed off.

Miki glanced at Luka again. "…" She reached out with one hand to touch her neck, caressing her shoulder down to what was exposed of her cleavage. In a second, Miku's body grew cold, and she felt her brain stop. Her friend didn't seem to notice, as she beamed innocently, stroking the tall woman's skin. "Wow! You're right! It's reall-"

"Don't just touch her!" Miku hissed, tearing the redhead's hand off her lover in a movement that turned out to be a bit excessive. She shot up in a sitting position, glaring at her through the darkness. Her mind wasn't working as it should've been. All she knew was that she saw someone else touch Luka a bit too inappropriately.

The smaller girl was a bit scared and she clutched the front of her own shirt nervously. "B-but I didn't fondle her…" She meekly said.

"Still!" She snarled back. "You could have touched her arm instead!"

Luka reached out to her with one hand. "Miku, it's not a big deal…"

She locked eyes with her turquoise ones. "I don't like it!" She protested irritably.

With this, Miki quickly stumbled out of bed and straightened herself. Luka's concerned gaze followed her silhouette before she looked over at Miku again, this time a bit disapprovingly.

It was the first time she looked at her this way, and Miku was brutally shaken back to herself. Realizing what had just went down, she instantly felt terribly ashamed of her behavior and she turned to her friend. "Oh my god, Miki, I…I really didn't want to… I'm so sorry…I-I don't know wh-…wh…" She incoherently stammered. "When it comes to Luka I…I don't know what to do with myself, I'm…" She trailed off, at loss.

Miki slowly nodded, but she stayed away. "…it's better that I go, I think…" She murmured, still visibly shaken.

It broke her heart; this was the first time she had any sort of problem with the redhead, and they'd been friends since kindergarten. "…sorry I…" She breathed hesitantly, very troubled. "…I didn't want to scare you, I just…I…" She trailed off again as she met deep red orbs. Miku could see she wasn't upset or vexed, just that Miki sincerely thought it was better to let the dust settle. The teal haired young woman sighed dejectedly. "…let's talk in the morning, okay?"

Miki nodded. "…Yeah, sorry I intruded." She offered timidly. Then she stared at her for a few seconds, and stepped closer to the bed. "…I still love you Miku." She whispered, bending over her to give her a peck on the forehead.

"Me too, Miki…" She surprised her as she grabbed her into a tight hug. "I'm really sorry." Miku felt her return the embrace instantly and she nodded. They squeezed each other a bit tighter before simultaneously releasing the other. The redhead excused herself and closed the door.

Luka exhaled softly and let go of the blanket to scoot closer. "…you have to get that under control, darling." She murmured and Miku turned to her, looking as terrible as she felt. They observed each other in silence for a moment, and despite seeing she obviously regretted her reaction, Luka still felt she needed to review it with her. "A little jealousy is cute and makes me feel wanted, but…this was just blown out of proportion. She's your friend, and her intentions were harmless. It can't happen again." She explained.

"You don't have to tell me, I know." She mumbled. "That was…too intimate for my liking…" Miku added even more quietly.

She knew what she meant. Miku wasn't wrong with saying the other young woman had been a little too bold with touching her the way she had; Miki just as easily could've touched her bare arm instead. "She meant nothing by it." She still reasoned as she very gently pulled her closer. The young woman was reluctant at first, feeling as though she didn't deserve affection right now, but couldn't truly resist something she wanted this badly.

She melted against her. "…I know." She quietly acquiesced. "…I don't want to be that person. I know how ugly it is…I won't let it happen again."

Luka shifted to get back into a sleeping position and met her lips very gently. "I have faith in you." She whispered, closing her eyes again and resting her head against hers. 

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Miku jogged down the hall to catch up with the brunette. The woman hadn't answered her mails, and Miku was thankful she had dropped by the agency before the weekend since now she had the luck to come across her. "…Meiko-san!" She called as she grabbed her by the arm, successfully stopping her. Reluctantly, the older woman glanced her way, and Miku slowly released her. "…How are you feeling?" She quietly asked.

She shrugged. "I'm fine." She monotonously answered, turning back to start walking again. Meiko was just a little shorter than Luka, and her height prevented Miku to scrutinize her expression as she wanted to. But Miku had the impression the brunette wanted to avoid meeting her eyes. She still walked with her. After a moment of silence, Meiko's naturally husky and sultry voice let itself be heard. "I don't know why you're worrying that much, there's no reason to-"

"Don't give me that." Miku cut in, and she realized this was probably the first time she disrespected Meiko. It trampled her self-assurance, and she looked down. Her tone was much softer as she continued. "I want to know…about Lily. How are you feeling?" She tried again.

Meiko walked a bit slower. "…I'm trying to be okay. I have no choice but to be okay." She breathed, and Miku didn't quite understand if she said this because their breakup had been an agreement, or because she had to hide it from Kaito. She decided it was probably some of both. Meiko then stopped, and her gaze nervously met the young woman's. "…How is she…?" She whispered.

Miku sighed. "To be honest, she's been a complete mess. But she got better." She answered. Meiko nodded faintly and they started walking again. Miku buried her hands in her school blazer's pockets, eying her carefully. "…Miki and she are dating." She then added quietly.

The older woman nodded again. "…I thought they would." She murmured as she pressed the down button on the elevator.

Miku waited in silence with her until the mechanism dinged and the doors opened. When the doors closed, and they were completely alone inside, the teal haired young woman dared inquiring a bit further. "…I…already asked her, b-but..." She turned to try and meet her eyes but she didn't succeed. "…weren't you two in love, Meiko-san?"

She exhaled. "…Lily never loved me, Miku-chan." She carefully answered. "She'll be fine." She added as she stepped out and headed to where her car was parked.

Miku followed her. "What about you?" She pressed.

Once again, Meiko kept looking straight ahead of her as she fished in her purse for her keys. "…I do love Kaito, you know?" She simply stated.

"…yeah." Miku sighed. She wasn't convinced. Meiko had deflected her question twice; she had very carefully avoided saying what she had felt for Lily, and Miku could deduct one conclusion. "…But no matter how much you love him…you…also love Lily, don't you?"

"…" Meiko stopped moving completely, she then finally turned to her. She had trouble believing that Miku understood this because to most people, if you're in love with one person, then you can't also be with someone else. She stared at her in a long silence, and the younger woman waited patiently. Meiko looked down. "I do." She finally admitted. She felt something very heavy being lifted off her heart, and she realized she had needed to tell someone, anyone. She had wanted at least one person to know, to be aware that her feelings for Lily had been genuine, no matter how depraved all this could've looked from the outside.

Miku observed her features very sadly. She couldn't fathom ever loving anyone else as much as she loved Luka, or even in the same way she loved Luka, but she could understand everyone was very different. It looked to her like Meiko was very sincere, and this forced separation was obviously hurting her tremendously.

"I'm not proud of my behavior." Meiko added, her gaze drifting to the ground. She let out a bitter laugh. "Not only did I have two lovers, but they…both were different genders. It makes it sound so sluttish…but…but…" She trailed off, her voice more and more quiet as she talked. She then glanced back up to meet her stare, her own red eyes slightly distressed. "I won't jump in bed with just anyone, Miku, I truly love them both." She whispered.

Miku nodded. "…I think I understand…" She said as quietly. "…You should tell her."

Meiko cringed. "I can't!" She bleakly disagreed. The young woman observed her very interestedly, so Meiko gave a timid follow-up. "I…I-I…chose Kaito…I can't be selfish and throw this at her…" She mumbled.

Miku closed in slightly. "…You need to talk to her…" She argued, though in a gentle voice. "If you're not moving on…it's 'cause something's blocking you. And you need to resolve this with her."

"…" Meiko sighed, unlocked her car and was about to get in, but Miku tugged at the sleeve of her leather jacket.

"…Do you wanna come over? I could cook us something, and then maybe you could go see her after…" She suggested.

Meiko finally gave her a small smile, and motioned for her to get in the car. Miku trotted to the other side and hopped in the passenger seat, buckling her seat belt as Meiko started the car. "You're really a nice girl, you know?" She commented.

Miku smiled to herself, remembering Luka accusing her of being possessed. "That's not what I've been told recently."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Hey, peanut." Lily rolled on her side to glance at the redhead. She was lazily occupying her younger neighbors' couch, trying to understand how to play that noisy game the redhead had been playing a lot these days, while Miki, who was now staring at her from behind a history book, finished her homework. The blond sat up as she turned off the PSP, and then reached for her lemonade-like soft drink. "You know two women can't make kids, right?"

"Of course I do." She frowned, a little insulted. "Why are you saying this?"

Lily finished her drink before she shrugged and flopped back down. "…Just 'cause you keep talking about making babies."

"Oh, I wish we could." She simply sighed, contemplatively twirling her pencil in her hand. "Maybe in the future some genius scientist will find a way for two girls to make a baby together." She suggested. Then she rested her pencil on the floor and crawled towards her. "But even if no one does," She pulled herself up the couch and met her eyes. "I really really wanna be a mom someday. So you're gonna have to find a way to get me babies then."

The blonde thought it was a bit cute, but in a more serious mindset, she couldn't help inquiring. "You think we're still gonna be together when it's time for kids?"

Miki nodded. "I'm sure we will."

She didn't want to harbour that kind of doubt because she truly loved being with her, even if it was simply waiting beside her while she finished her homework. But realistically, there were still chances things wouldn't go smoothly and they'd leave each other. She searched her big, red eyes. "…What makes you so sure?" She quietly asked.

The young woman climbed on the couch to sit on her stomach. She stared back at Lily, her gaze unwavering. "People don't fall in or out of love so easily…Those who do weren't really in love to start with, they only thought they were in love. Because people confuse a crush, or liking a lot, or sexual attraction with love all the time." She explained, looking firmly convinced of this. Her small hands clutched the other woman's shirt, and she looked a little meeker as she decided to ask her next question. "How long were you in love with Luka-nee-san?"

Lily shrunk back slightly. She didn't like talking about what went around her relationship with Luka because she thought it made her look pathetic. It had taken a whole year for her to muster up the courage to ask her out, and then it took her two years to get over her after Luka had left. "…Five years or so." She reluctantly admitted.

Miki had expected that it would have been more than the two years they had been together, but she hadn't expected it had been that much more. Especially since Lily had known all along that Luka never loved her, and never would love her. Yet she couldn't help her feelings, because love doesn't go away easily. Miki bent a little closer. "…She…she didn't love you…and yet you still loved her for that long…" She murmured, and Lily nodded. The redhead reached out to cup her cheeks with both hands. "…But I do, Lily…I really, really love you and…and if you really are in love with me too, then…we should be in for a pretty long time, then. No?"

A very fond, loving smile etched itself on her lips as Miki explained. "…Yeah, you're right." Lily breathed. She pulled on her hands and made her topple over her to fall into her arms. She grinned. "The first one was a girl, right?"

Miki beamed. "Right!" She made herself comfortable and stared at the ceiling together with the older woman. "I wanna call her Kō. With the kanji for success. Not lance or steel, it's too masculine."

Lily pulled gently on her ahoge. "…What if I don't like it?"

The redhead glared up at her. "You don't?"

She released her hair. "No, I do actually." She amusedly replied. She thought it was a strong name, she would rather have sported a name like this than hers.

She puffed her cheeks in disapproval. "Well then why are you being difficult?"

Lily shrugged. "…I just wondered if I got my say in this."

Miki ooh-ed and rolled on her stomach to lie on her, face to face. "You're the father, you can name the boy. I get to name the girls." She explained.

"…That's a bit unfair, you want three girls and one boy." The blond decided to pull on her cheeks to stretch her face.

So she also pulled on Lily's cheeks. "That's how it is."

"…" Lily instantly got over the injustice and released her, moving on. "So you have names for the twin girls?"

When Miki nodded, her question mark lock on her head bounced. "Shinobu and Jun." She announced.

She didn't need to think to understand the pattern the three names conformed to. "Why did you pick three unisex names?" Lily curiously asked.

As she answered this utterly eccentric answer, Miki looked both naively innocent and very enigmatic. "Because if they want to become boys, then they won't have to change their names."

Lily stared very hard at her, trying to read her mind. Miki flopped down to lie on her back with her again. Eventually, she just had to ask. "…Why do you think of that?"

"Also, it's because I like my name, and a boy can also be called Miki." Miki didn't seem to have heard her, even though the blonde knew she did. 

She pursed her lips. "…You ignored me." Lily pointed out, a little unhappy.

The short girl simply ignored her again. "So what are you calling him?"

Lily kept silent a moment, staring ahead at the ceiling. Miki had this very strange habit to select and disregard information to direct the conversation exactly where she wanted it to go. Luckily, Lily didn't really mind it. She was a hassle-free person and curiosity didn't gnaw at her when she didn't get answers from Miki. She understood herself enough to know that one of the things that attracted her to Miki was exactly that she didn't completely understand her. It made the young woman unpredictable, and to Lily this made her more interesting than anyone else. She liked getting surprised and she loved feeling she would always be discovering new aspects of her younger lover.  
Ultimately, she turned to glance at her profile, going along with Miki's conversation. "Should I also pick a unisex name or should I pick a very masculine name, since my name is very feminine?"

Miki turned to her with a blank stare. "You should call him Yuri."

Lily sat up. "No."

The young woman also sat up. "In Russian, it's a boy's name." She tried, her voice too earnest.

She turned away from her. "I don't care. No." That idea was all kinds of wrong.

Miki pouted, latching onto her. "But it'd be funny 'cause-"

"I said no." Lily cut in, a little unbelieving. She didn't need Miki to explain. Not only was Yuri the translation of her own name, it also pointed to their two moms relationship. And pointing out Russian made it a unisex name (somewhat). Miki had hit spot-on if this had been a huge joke, but there was no way she was going along with it. "I'm not naming my kid with a gag name."

She looked genuinely sad. Miki had honestly thought her idea was a great one. "But- but!" She hugged her tighter.

Interrupting their commotion, Miku let herself in. "I'm ho-…" She didn't expect Lily to be over. "…home." She finished. Meiko followed her in.

There was a very heavy silence. It only lasted a few seconds, but it seemed to the four of them to be an hour. Miki tightened her grip on the blonde, and Miku glanced back at Meiko, who impassively looked on. "…I need to talk to you, Lily." She murmured.

And Lily knew enough to simply agree. "…Okay." She made the redhead release her grip on her to stand. "…my place." She nodded in the general direction of where her own apartment would be.

Meiko acquiesced. "I'll…wait for you outside." She quietly said, carefully avoiding Miki's glare. She turned to the other young woman. "Thanks, Miku-chan, but I'm sure you'll understand. I don't think I'll dine with you…" She politely said. Miku nodded at her.

Lily took the opportunity, while the brunette excused herself to her host and exited, to reassure her young lover. "Don't worry, Miki…I won't take long." She whispered, petting her hair.

But she didn't look reassured at all. "…" In fact, the redhead looked terrified.

"…" The tall woman bent to be eye to eye with her. "…really. Don't worry. I love you, and it won't change just 'cause Meiko's around…" She whispered, caressing her cheek. "I won't fall out of love so easily, remember? We're supposed to have kids." She kindly added before she pressed her lips against hers. "I'll be right back?" She made it a question for it to also be her asking if she could go. She waited for Miki to nod at her before she left.  
Meeting her ex at her door, she unlocked it and let the both of them in. She wanted to get right to the point and get it over with; both to reassure Miki by coming back rapidly, and because she didn't quite feel ready to be friends with Meiko again. "…Did we forget to sort something out, that night?" She quietly asked, turning to her.

Meiko gave a melancholic look around. It had been three weeks since she had been standing in Lily's home. It was enough to make it feel tremendously nostalgic. "…Not really." She whispered. It wasn't something they'd forgotten per se. Standing in the middle of her living room, the short haired woman turned to meet icy, guarded blue eyes. "We went over it, but I…" She started, her heart wrenched in her chest. "…I lied to you, and I needed to set the record straight…so to speak."

Lily eyed her warily, both hands on her hips, ready to hear her. "I'm listening." She signalled.

She knew what she wanted to say, and she knew how to approach the subject. But it still was hard to open her mouth and go ahead with it. Meiko took a very deep breath. "…I agreed with you against everything I knew of myself, against everything I felt…when…" She paused to keep her composure. Her eyes were steadily locked with the blonde's. "I agreed…when you said that what we had wasn't…love." She murmured almost inaudibly.

Her heart stopped for a second. Lily instantly understood what the brunette was telling her. She felt the blood drain from her face, and her fingers went cold, numb. She loathed herself for not having seen or anticipated it. 

Meiko saw her pale, and knew she didn't need to explain further. However, she felt that there are things that should be said even if everyone already knows, and so she inhaled a nervous breath. "I don't want to change things, I made my decision…and…a-and I know where you stand." She started, her voice shaking slightly. "I know you don't love me. But…I-…I need you to know, Lily…for my part, I really, truly love you." Her eyes had watered, and Meiko felt her body ache, her heart crushed. "We both knew it could come to an end any day and…I know you were able to stop yourself from falling in this trap…but I…b-but I couldn't. I do hold these feelings for you. I love you just as much as I love him." She explained with excruciating tenderness.

Tenderness which didn't leave Lily indifferent. "…" Her face wasn't as white as it had been and her features had relaxed considerably. Her eyes were fixed on her, but she didn't know what to say.

Her silence eventually grew too wearing on Meiko, and the woman's red orbs drifted to the ground. "I'm sorry, I…I had decided not to tell you but I j-just…I couldn't keep it to myself." She weakly finished.

Lily went over the time she had spent with the other woman, and an indescribable sadness overcame her. What Meiko had said was right; it had been a trap. It wasn't just comfortable, it made them happy. And had Lily not reasoned herself countless times that it would never work out because the one the brunette loved was Kaito, things might have turned out very differently. She came up a few steps closer. "…Had you told me sooner, you know, I might have…I probably…no, I…actually would also have fallen in love with you…" She admitted.

A very chilly wave overcame her and her hands gradually balled into fists. "…" Meiko stared very anxiously at the floor. She then shut her eyes tightly. "…I know…" She whispered sorrowfully. She shook her head. "I know that…" She repeated before she mustered the courage to meet her gaze. "…That's why I couldn't tell you…! I…I really want a family, and I want _that_ life…I know he's perfect for me…" As she said this, she saw understanding slowly alter Lily's gaze. Meiko also stepped a bit closer. "I know…if you'd known about my feelings…You would put your guard down…and if you let yourself fall in love with me, then…you would've fought to have me, and…"

"…and no matter what, you still would have picked him." She finished for her. Lily knew exactly where she came from and didn't hold it against her.

The brunette nodded. She kept her head down. "…I didn't want to hurt you more than I already did…" She murmured.  
Following this, a silence instilled itself between them, and the longer it grew, the more uncomfortable it became. So Meiko felt compelled to break it. "Are you happy with Miki-chan?" She tried asking.

She couldn't hold her small smile. "I am." The tall blond quietly answered. "She makes me feel… worthy…free and…I never feel like I need to put up any sort of façade." She said very quietly. "She makes me laugh, she comforts me, she makes me feel needed. She's…adorable."

"…That's great." Meiko tried to smile and managed to keep her voice steady.

But Lily read very well the pain behind her still genuine answer. She knew as much as the short-haired woman wished her to be happy, and as much as she truly was glad she found someone, the news still hurt her greatly. Lily felt her heart strangled. It pained her to see the other woman struggle this way because of her. She reached to entwine her fingers with red-painted ones. "…Can we still be friends, Meiko?" She whispered.

"Yeah…yeah, I don't want to lose you completely…" She breathed painfully. "I still need you, I always will." She confessed, breaking eye contact for her gaze to drift to the floor. She figured she either must have looked miserable, or Lily had taken that accord as a green light, because she then felt her body come against the taller woman's. The blond hugged her very tightly, and Meiko squeezed her eyes shut.

_That's dangerous._ She reflected fearfully to herself. Lily's lean yet curvy body and her sweet honey scent felt painfully familiar, too nostalgic. It made her feel terribly at home and Meiko was scared to fall back into a state of mind she had tried to pull herself out of. But as much as she knew she shouldn't let Lily hold her, she couldn't tell her not to either. She had agonizingly craved her being these last weeks, and she could only squeeze her right back. When she felt her kiss the top of her head, Meiko couldn't hold back the tears.  
"I love you…" She croaked, rubbing her face in her shirt, and she felt the blonde's shivering body pull her closer. It made her sob, and Meiko tried to calm down. But the more she tried to push everything back, the more she seemed to be conscious again of everything she loved about the woman who held her.

She eventually found enough strength to move a few inches back, but made the dreadful mistake to look up at her. She had very much hoped to meet cold blue eyes. Eyes that would have driven her away. She would have needed that to be shaken back to reality, to be able to release Lily…but Meiko had known very well this wasn't what she would see. What she had expected was for her eyes to be gentle and comforting, but a little detached.

However, she'd been completely wrong. Those clear blue eyes were watery, adoring and pained. Instead of driving her away, they compelled Meiko to press her lips against hers, and she didn't quite understand why Lily kissed her back. She felt her hands grip at the back of her own shirt, and the brunette shakily moved her own through the long blonde hair. The taste of Lily's lips was so familiar it was unbearable, and even though there was some trace of smoke and tobacco, her lips were tremendously sweet to Meiko. 

Lily pulled back an inch, and through half-closed eyes, she searched the other woman's red ones. "We can't be playing that game, Meiko…" She whispered under her breath. "We have commitments, and it's not fair…"

Meiko didn't need to be reminded. "…I know." She simply said, gently resting her head on her shoulder. She inhaled her scent and inadvertently brushed her lips against her neck.

The taller woman was completely paralyzed by it. She never had been one with much self-control or a great strength of mind. And she was very scared she'd succumb to Meiko if the brunette ever wanted her again. "…I'm too weak to resist, if you do that…" Lily breathed.

Meiko nodded. "I know…" She simply said. She knew if she made advances on the other woman, she would undoubtedly succeed. It probably was the reason why Lily had kissed her back. But…she knew she couldn't push her for more. They would both regret it. They should be faithful, and moreover, this would bring them back to square one. They'd have to go through another painful separation sooner or later. Meiko wondered if in another universe, another timeline, another life maybe…if she had picked this woman over the man she loved. She wondered if she had really made the right decision. But it was a bit too late now anyways.

"…Hey, Lily…" She whispered against her neck. "If we…God forbid, but if for some reason both Kaito and Miki-chan are out of the picture…if both of us ever end up alone again…I'll want to be with you." She declared in a very, very soft voice.

"You're putting dibs on me already?" The blond commented, the tone of her voice betrayed a bit of amusement.

She hugged her tighter. "I'm not letting you go twice." She whispered, inhaling her scent for the last time. Then, very slowly, she moved away from her to release her completely. "…I'll leave…let's…let some time…" She trailed off to replace her jumbled mind. She took another step back and looked up at Lily. "w-when this'll have…went away…let's go out again…okay?" Meiko tried to smile.

Lily had a sad smile to herself. "Yeah." She knew that Meiko also knew that the chemistry between them would never completely go away. She knew they'd be tempted if they ever were alone again, because both of them were definitely not as strong as they made themselves appear to be. Most of their 'strength' was nothing but bravado and this was something they both understood. So Lily knew very well that as much of they both loved their respective partner, this chemistry, their concealed weakness and the history they had would still make for a very tempting demon.

And Lily knew they would definitely end up giving into it; and she knew she would loathe herself if she ever cheated. For once, she had a normal, monogamous relationship, she loved her partner and her partner loved her back. She absolutely didn't want to be risking Miki. So she knew, it meant that Meiko and she probably would not see each other again in a very long time, and never alone.

**- continued in chapter 17**

(remove spaces for the links)

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**I recommend those of you who have a pixiv account to check mine regularly, since I'm not gonna post**** more than stuff related to this fic here. Here's a little extra, which I decided to post here since I submitted it in Japanese on pixiv.**

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	17. Chapter 17

**Long overdue update. Merry Christmas! **  
**I forget what I might have wanted to say in this AN because it's 4:30AM here. So I'll just thank my new beta for his dedicated work, the reviewers for the feedback and the kick it gives me to actually finish (because I never finished a fic yet, this will be my first one) and all of you guys who are following this story, coming back all the time and being patient with my...going off and writing something else OTL (at least what I released was related and all). **  
**Anyways. **  
**Oh yeah- I'm sorry I wasted so much time with formspring. It's just too fun though. **  
**I'll probably make a more pertinent AN for ch.18.**

Miku had noticed something different with Luka. It had been very gradual ever since the beginning of the week, and it took her a few days to notice, but now she was very aware of it; it had become flagrant. Her embraces were undeniably prolonged, and her kisses needy and lingering. Her long fingers constantly searched to caress the skin Miku's clothing concealed. Miku also felt Luka frisson every time the woman would inhale her scent. And in turn…every time Luka looked at her for a tad too long, Miku felt a tremendous shiver go down her spine. Her habitually gentle turquoise eyes now more often than not shone with frighteningly savage lust. It gripped Miku to her core.

That week had been an odd one. The first days, Miku had had too much fun poking at Luka's sensible spots, teasing her, intending to keep her promise to tempt her. The pink haired woman had tried to resist more often than not and also had tried even harder to keep their everyday casual, despite Miku's onslaughts. But with each passing day, the situation gradually turned around; Luka became the one to make most of the advances. By the end of the week, she couldn't leave Miku be whenever they were alone. Because of how relentless Luka was, the young woman had to let her have her way eventually. But the problem was…Luka just kept going. Miku had to stop her when she was too tired to go on, because getting no release, the other woman's libido never dropped. Luka's condition therefore kept deteriorating as the days went by. At this point, Miku knew no better word than 'predator' to describe her.

And today was the day Miku could finally have returned her caresses, the other woman being done with that time of her cycle. But since today was also the first day of their overnight trip with five other people, 'it' would have to wait another forty-eight hours or so. The woman had so much trouble keeping her hands off her, it made Miku worried how the trip would unfold. Miku wondered why in god's name she had felt the need to impose this on Luka now.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The drive there wasn't extremely long, just a little over three hours. The group was divided in two cars. Figuring it was a good opportunity for Gumi to get to know Luka, Miku had asked her to ride with them. Also, to avoid possibly ruining their trip with Miki inadvertently sticking her foot in her mouth and telling Rin about her and Lily, the redhead was also riding with them. They had all agreed that telling the younger girl should wait to after the weekend. Miki didn't seem to understand why it was a big deal, but had thankfully complied.

It was a very agreeable ride, and between small talk and snacking, Miku was extremely happy everyone got along so well. She sat in the front passenger seat, while her two friends sat in the back. This placing made it a little difficult for Luka to meet anyone's but Miku's eyes and the young woman could see, from time to time, that flicker burn in her eyes. She'd try to ignore it and concentrate on chatting with Gumi and Miki, but she couldn't help wondering if her two friends noticed the looks Luka threw her.

"I heard from Len-kun that he and Rin-chan could listen to your new single," Gumi commented, swiftly changing Miku's train of thought.

"Oh, that's right, I totally forgot to tell you!" she exclaimed, glancing back at her two friends. The short haired girl was smiling slightly, but the redhead looked completely outraged. Before Miki had time to complain about not being the first one to have heard it, Miku carried on, "It's on my iPod. Do you want me to put it on?"

Miki nodded fervently, but Gumi raised an objecting hand. "If you don't mind, I would like it better if you two would sing it for us," she answered, "Since we have the both of you here, it would be a shame to pass the opportunity for a private mini-concert."

"I don't mind," Miku smiled and turned to the pink haired woman, "What about you?"

Luka nodded, looking delighted. "It would be a pleasure."

Miku turned back to the green haired girl. "A capella?"

She looked unsure for a second. "Well, do you have the instrumental track?"

"Yep." She shuffled through the pink haired woman's purse for her iphone and found the track in the small device in no time. Miku showed it to her friend.

"Whichever you prefer then," Gumi simply answered.

Miku thought that since it'd be the first time her friends would hear it, she wanted to give them the full experience. So she plugged the other woman's phone into the audio system of the car and played the track. She closed her eyes to immerse herself in the melody. She loved singing this song. Miku loved the part where she was joined by Luka, both the woman's voice and the sensual lyrics she would sing then. As the music picked up into a more dramatic tone, Luka took one hand off the steering wheel to entwine her fingers with the teal haired young woman's. Miku squeezed it gently in hers. She brought it to her lips to kiss it tenderly when Luka sang alone. As they embarked on the second chorus, Miku couldn't help glancing in the rearview mirror at the green haired girl. After all, the lyrics of the second chorus were about how the rest of the world wouldn't accept them easily. But Gumi had her eyes closed as she listened very intently. Miku concentrated on the rest of the song. When she exhaled her last note and the music continued on into its finale, Miku couldn't help herself; they would usually kiss once they were done singing. She leaned closer to very gently kiss Luka's neck and jaw.

Luka was trying very hard not to lose focus of the road. "…Miku, don't…I'm driving…," she breathed, but the young woman wasn't backing down. A little more and she would be plainly putting herself in the way and forcefully claiming her lips.

A little afraid for their safety, Gumi edged out of her seat. "…Err…Miku-chan," she tried embarrassedly.

Thankfully, they came to a red light and Luka stopped the car. Miku took the opportunity to pull her into a deep, longing kiss. The pink haired woman responded ardently, her hunger resurfacing in a second. Only when the car behind them honked, making it known that the light had turned green, did Miku reluctantly pull back. Luka cracked her eyes open and gazed back at her completely dazed, lust undeniably burning in her turquoise orbs. The young woman caressed her cheek. "…Luka, the light turned green," she murmured.

She hummed in approval, but the information didn't sink in for another few seconds. She blinked a few times, and Miku gradually saw her come back from la la land. "Ah!" She turned back to the road and resumed driving them to their destination, her cheeks very red.

Miku gazed at her for a second, smiling to herself. Then, she remembered her two friends, and gave a timid glance at the back of the car. "…Sorry…" she sheepishly let out.

"No problem, you two look great together!" the redhead beamed excitedly. "And the song is fantastic!"

Teal orbs met vivid green ones, searching to see if it truly was fine. Gumi smiled slightly. "It is. And you really do look great together," she confirmed.

By then, Miki was bouncing excitedly in her seat. "When they get married, I'm gonna be Miku's maid of honor," she proudly declared. "It's gonna be a beautiful wedding-," said Miki, trailing off in a rant.

Luka glanced at the young woman sitting by her side. "…Did you tell her we would get married?" she inquired curiously, her voice just above a whisper.

"No, Miki decides these things on her own," Miku commented as quietly. "She sorted all this out when we were seven. We're supposed to be neighbors so our kids can grow up together. She said she would have four kids and her boy would marry my oldest daughter," she added as an example of her best friend's godly plans.

The pink haired woman kept her eyes steadily on the road ahead. "…Children, mm?" she thought out loud.

Miku was fairly discomfited. She suddenly felt like she shouldn't have gone into details; she knew her lover had been very uncomfortable with not being able to offer her certain things. "…I don't know. I don't always get what she's thinking. It's stupid, don't mind her." She tried to brush it off and move on.

But it didn't sound like such a bad plan to Luka and she glanced over at the younger woman again. "No, it's not like that. I…I do like it," she admitted. Though she had no idea how, when or even if they would manage. The starting point at least would be a little easier. "…Let's talk about…marriage…again when you're of legal age. We'll see afterwards for the rest," she quietly said.

Miku felt an upsurge of emotion overcome her. Her heart felt like it would burst with happiness, and her eyes watered slightly. She leaned in again and gave a gentle kiss on her shoulder. "I love you," she whispered. She would really have loved to be able to tackle her into a tight hug right now.

Luka glanced her way, also smiling. "I do too."

Interrupting the moment, the redhead started shaking Miku's seat in a burst of energy. "I wanna sing with Luka-nee-san!"

Though she was under a peculiar attack, Miku was used to being shaken (literally) by her best friend. She ignored the localized earthquake and turned to her. "Only with her? What about me?" she pouted jokingly.

Miki stopped shaking her seat. "You're not special."

Miku was left speechless for a second; she stared with her mouth slightly agape. "…Wow, talk about brutally honest," she finally managed.

"That's not what I meant! I get to sing with you several times a week!" Miki protested as she latched at her seat again. "I love you Miku!" she proclaimed in a bit of a whiny voice.

She rolled her eyes, but her smile returned to her lips. "I know, I know," she sighed.

Luka laughed quietly at the exchange. "We can sing along, it sounds fun."

The redhead excitedly started bouncing again. Miku was surprised she could move around so much without her seatbelt stopping her. She turned around to check on her as Miki threw herself into a song-she didn't wait for anyone, and didn't even start the song at the beginning. Miku frowned when she noticed her best friend hadn't buckled her seatbelt. She motioned to Gumi and the short haired girl complied; Miki didn't stop proffering her rendition of Just Be Friends as Gumi buckled her up.

As the redhead went into a more difficult part of the song, Luka gave an unbelieving glance in Miku's direction.

A moment later Miki stopped, frowning. "Why is no one singing?" she indignantly questioned.

Luka met her gaze in the rearview mirror. She was very impressed about how good of a singer Miki turned out to be. "You're…excellent. Have you ever thought about signing professionally like Miku does?"

The redhead puffed her cheeks. "I don't wanna!" She fell back in her seat. "Miku works all the time, I'm too lazy to do that," she explained shortly.

"Says the girl who gets up at five in the morning to go run around in circles for an hour and a half," Miku commented under her breath. She knew no one else who had that kind of determination.

Miki still had her cheeks puffed like a hamster. "I like running."

"But you also like singing," Miku pointed out.

With a deep frown and an O mouth, Miki held her index in the air in a 'wait a minute' motion. She looked like she was about to offer some sort of comeback, but nothing came out.

Eventually, Miku turned to the older woman. "Gumi-chan is also exceptionally good," she added.

Said girl's cheeks reddened instantly. "I'm not that-"

"No use being modest, Gumi-chan, I'm pretty sure we'll karaoke at the ryokan," the teal haired young woman grinned.

Gumi sank back in her seat. "The twins are also quite impressive," she said to divert the attention away from herself.

Luka's eyebrows went up slightly. "So is Lily. Hence everyone in this group can actually sing…that's rare."

There was a short silence; the odds were pretty slim of this happening and had everyone reflect on it for a second.

Miki was the first one to come back to Earth, since silence wasn't her best friend. "Let's sing along! Gumi-chan! Sing!"

"…You sing, I'll join in," she mumbled in resignation.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

When they finally got there, Lily went in alone to do the check-in and recover the keys so the two stars could try and discreetly make it to their room. Unfortunately, they were unsuccessful. The hotel staff spotted the two stars in no time, and it was no more than fifteen minutes before the whole place knew of their presence. Curious onlookers tried to get a glimpse as they moved to their rooms. Miku was thankful they were such a large group; it really didn't look odd for Luka and her to be on a trip together then, though they of course were in the same room with the arrangement they all had decided on; the three blonde siblings and Miki in room one, the two of them and Gumi in room two.

Thankfully, being celebrities had its privileges and in exchange for a couple of autographs and pictures, they bargained being able to get the bathing area for themselves. Miki, Lily and Rin didn't wait for the women's bath to be clear for the two stars before jumping right in. Only about fifteen minutes later did Miku and Luka enter the now empty public change room. In it were individual lockers before, somewhat remindful of a spa.

And now, because they were alone, Miku felt her eyes on her. She knew much too well that feeling, and she knew Luka was studying her shape very openly as she undressed. Miku wondered if before they were together, she wasn't aware of the gazes of that nature the other woman would have thrown her way. Slowly, she turned to glance at her. Miku was shaken by another one of those debilitating shivers as she met her stare; she immediately had to break eye contact. "Luka, it's getting…really intimidating," she murmured, her cheeks red.

Luka exhaled softly as she turned to her locker. "I'm sorry, it's…just that it's getting more trying with each passing second," she quietly answered, slipping her dress off and folding it neatly before putting it away.

Miku observed the ground in silence for a short moment. This was a public place, so it was out of the question. And anyways, Miku didn't want to hide and do it quickly, because otherwise, the whole week of Luka holding back would go to waste. They needed to be somewhere they could take their time, and especially, where Luka would feel safe enough to let down every wall. There was no easy solution; they had to wait until they were home. She let out a soft sigh. "…I never thought it would be as hard on you as it turns out to be…" she commented apologetically.

"I didn't think it would be either," Luka commented. "But…in the end, it feels like I'm fasting and my absolute favorite dessert," she motioned towards Miku, "-is parading in front of me for days on end." With another sigh, she allowed herself another glance at her. "At least when I'm able to touch you, it satisfies me somewhat," she added, trying to stay a bit positive.

Miku felt compelled to step closer and meet her lips. Her hands went from her shoulders, then down her arms and she noticed Luka's skin was tremendously hot. Miku still kissed her very gently. She didn't want to stir her even more; she knew it would be very demanding and even cruel for her. Besides, in a few minutes they both would be completely naked to bathe with others and Miku didn't want to humiliate her lover by having her be obviously aroused in front of their friends.

Luka left her lips to very slowly go down her neck, her arms snaking around her form. She held her tightly, squeezing their bodies together. Miku had the impression that since she couldn't grope her as she wanted, she felt her with the whole surface of her own body. Luka exhaled as if to calm herself down. "You're perfect…" she whispered a little out of the blue as she pushed a little more against her, holding her closer than she should be. Right now, the young woman could feel every curve and she knew her lover also felt every detail on her own body as they molded together…and Miku knew this was slightly dangerous considering the circumstances.

Luka breathed in her hair, running her hands down her back. "So beautiful…" she added very quietly before she met her lips again, this time in not such an innocent kiss.

Miku held onto the other woman; her knees went weak when Luka kissed her that way. She was powerlessly melting into her arms, wishing they could throw everything out the window and just get to enjoy each other. She quickly was starting to forget where they were and despite not wanting to make things harder on her, she could do nothing else but kiss her back with the same hunger. Her fingers slowly trailed on Luka's mostly naked body, moving out of habit, seemingly out of their own will towards her chest.

Light coughing prompted them to jump apart, bringing them back to reality.

"It was getting a bit out of hand, so I thought I'd let my presence be known," Gumi offered, wrapping her towel around her body before she removed her underwear.

Miku was bewildered her friend had had time to come in, set her stuff, and undress without them noticing her. "Since when have you been here?" she embarrassedly asked as she returned to her own locker.

"Since just a little before she was whispering to you." The short haired girl answered as casually as she could, resting her last articles of clothing in her locker before she locked it. Her face was a little red, but she tried not to let herself be discomfited. Gumi glanced over at Luka, who busied herself gathering her bathing articles, before she met Miku's eyes again. "I know you decided to make it public, but you haven't announced it yet…and here the staff could catch you any time. And this was…r-really…" Her gaze drifted away. "I think you should be a little more careful," she concluded, not even trying to finishing her previous sentence.

Luka thought it was a little funny being scolded this way. "You're right, Gumi-san. To tell the truth, it was my fault. I'm sorry."

"…Ah…I didn't mean to sound-" she held her breath and blushed a darker red. "…Sorry."

"Don't be, we were being inappropriate." The tall woman smiled. "I'll go ahead, then," she motioned to the door that led to the bath.

Gumi was also ready to go, so she followed her in, and Miku scrambled to join them quickly. When they got in, Lily was splashing around with Rin and Miki like they were kids. Of course. The teal haired young woman found it odd she wasn't feeling embarrassed to be naked with everyone else. It reminded her that she had never thought twice about bathing with Miki either. This only reinforced her feeling that her attraction to women was very specific to Luka.

…Well, her attraction to any other being at all, because even though it would embarrass her to have to bath with men (as opposed to other women), her embarrassment wouldn't be due to attraction. The only one she wanted to see naked was Luka. This was why deep inside her heart, she had the feeling from the very beginning that the pinked haired woman was the one, no matter how cheesy it could sound. It did embarrass her to say it, because she knew it sounded like something an infatuated, overemotional teenage girl would say. She knew how irrational and sickeningly romantic it was, but it still was her reality.

And all this explained why she found it so very hard to take when she caught gazes scrutinizing Luka as she was cleaning herself. She knew none of her friends were staring out of ill-placed interest; it was all simple curiosity because Luka's figure was exceptional. Even Lily's stares weren't ogling; the blonde looked more impressed than anything else. But Miku still hated it, and it made her stomach stir and twist. She had been happy to know she was the only one to enjoy the true extent of Luka's beauty. Still, she remembered all too well what happened a few days ago when she snapped at Miki in a completely undeserved way out of pure jealousy; Miku would absolutely not have a repeat of it. So she opted to scrub herself and bathe in silence, though it eventually got to the point that she didn't feel like she could to endure it for another second. She felt she would definitely snap again if she stayed any longer. So Miku got out of the hot water and wrapped herself in her towel. "I feel a little dizzy," she half-lied when questioning gazes turned her way. "I'll go lie down in our room," she added to excuse herself.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Are you feeling well?" Luka quietly asked, letting herself in their room. She had decided to check on her shortly after Miku had left the bathing area.

Miku glanced up from her magazine. She was lying on one of the futons that were laid out, which she had claimed as hers. She hadn't expected Luka to follow her. "Yeah, I'm fine. I wasn't really feeling dizzy," she confessed in a sigh.

The tall diva slid the shoji door shut behind her. "…You weren't?" she questioned, implicitly asking her to explain herself. As Luka stepped closer, she removed the yukata she had loosely put on over her nightwear as she got out of the bath. It was offered by the inn with the rooms, and it was very much part of the experience, but after bathing in such hot water, it felt too hot to wear. Luka had only put it on to go from the bathing area to the room because her nightgown was too short to walk around in.

The teal haired young woman groaned and sat up. She had done the same, and also was in her regular pajamas. "…I just couldn't stand it; everyone was looking at you," she grumbled.

Hearing this, Luka raised her eyebrows slightly. "…Everyone's looking at everyone else in these situations. Curiosity is human nature," she casually noted. She folded her yukata as she stepped closer.

"But they were looking more at you," Miku insisted.

She brushed it off and rested her neatly folded yukata next to the ruffled pile that was Miku's. "It's your protective little mind. You were imagining."

"No, they really were!" Miku exclaimed, a little distressed. Or maybe a little angry, Luka couldn't quite tell. Miku still glared at her, looking aggravated. "You don't realize how many women wished they had your body! You're flawless, it's ridiculous!"

"…" Luka didn't know what to say. She just let herself drop on her knees at the end of Miku's futon.

They sat staring at each other for a short moment before Miku continued. "…And so, even if they're not staring out of lust, I don't like that others gawk at you. So I thought it was better to leave," she summed her thoughts up. "I didn't want to blow up again," she added a little more quietly.

"You're adorable…," Luka whispered, a very fond smile on her lips. She reached for whatever part of Miku was available to her touch -it happened to be the lower part of her leg- and stroked it comfortingly.

She pursed her lips, not letting herself be reassured. "Am not, jealousy isn't cute," Miku muttered as she picked up her magazine again. She lay back down the way she was set up before Luka came in, deciding to ignore her and sulk. Eventually, she felt Luka removing her hand from her leg, but she knew she was still observing her. Miku made sure to concentrate on the article she had been reading; an exclusive interview with Meiko, which was in fact really interesting. She almost was able to forget her lover's presence as she immersed herself in her reading. But of course, Luka wouldn't have that. So Miku felt her leg being raised slightly and something very soft tickling under her foot. She twitched in surprise and lowered her magazine completely to look down at the other woman, who turned out to be very gently kissing her foot. "…What are you doing…Luka…?" she curiously questioned, cocking her head to the side. She couldn't help the smile that was etching itself on her lips as she observed her, even if she had decided to pout.

She moved up slightly, kissing the top of her foot until she got to her ankle. Luka then gave a wetter kiss, sucking slightly on her skin as she moved even higher. She held the younger woman's limb carefully as her lips followed up her leg. "Worshiping the woman I love…," she indicated as she moved up.

Miku hid her face up to her eyes with her magazine, embarrassed. "…How can you say stuff like that so easily…?" she murmured, still letting her do as she pleased.

And as such she did; Luka was very slowly kissing her way up her leg, and when she reached her thigh, she moved on the inside, licking sensuously from time to time. When Miku first felt her tongue on the inside of her thigh, just a little above her knee, she had goose bumps. She knew exactly where the other woman was going with this, and she felt the anticipation building at an incredible speed. Miku discarded her magazine and spread her legs a little more to leave her some room.

The higher Luka got, the more febrile the young woman felt. When she finally reached the edge of her short pajama bottoms shorts, she gave a long lick on the skin her tongue could reach under it - Miku shuddered.

Luka, pressing her face between her legs, deeply inhaled Miku's scent through her shorts. Miku held her breath a second. "Luka, that's…perverted…" she whispered. Luka exhaled heavily; Miku felt her warm, moist breath through the fabric.

"It's your fault…you make me do this…," she breathed.

Luka looked completely intoxicated as she clumsily moved her head up, her lips exploring the teal haired woman's lower stomach; with one hand, she pulled on the elastic band of her pajama shorts and she licked the skin under it. Miku exhaled deeply, her body quivering slightly. Luka then decided she liked it better down there and released the cloth to go press her face between her legs again. Miku tensed and had a very faint spasm, she pushed back with her hips.

"You're really a pervert," the young woman commented under her breath. But she loved it. And even if this embarrassed her a bit, she was greatly enjoying the frisky way her lover was playing with her.

"I know, sorry. Will you ever forgive me?" she said in mock dejection. She let one hand snake up her stomach, under her shirt to caress her skin, as she pressed her mouth to her through her garments again. It felt much hotter than before, and there was an unmistakable dampness starting to soak through. Luka pulled back just enough to talk, and she glanced up at the young woman, her eyes screamed hunger. "…My mouth is watering just thinking of…" she trailed off, moaning lustfully as she pressed her mouth back into her.

Miku couldn't help gasping this time around. An ardent fire had rapidly spread throughout her body, consuming her completely and her now cloudy mind forgot that anyone of their group could decide to check in on them at any time. She stared intently at her, her eyelids heavy. "…So do it…," she urged in a low voice.

With her eyes closed, her voice was slightly muffled by the fact that she was still pressing into her. "…And if someone walks in…?"

"…No one will," she flatly stated, raising her butt off the futon to let Luka remove her garments. She did so immediately, sliding them down her legs and discarding them.

The pink haired woman settled comfortably again between her legs. She was about to move in and get to business, but then her features turned a little a smug, and she grinned. Slowly, she inserted a finger inside her and, as slowly, she pulled out. "You're soaking," she commented amusedly.

Miku frowned. She had been perfectly fine and innocently reading her magazine before Luka had decided to light her on fire. She had expected her to just go in and satisfy her. "Whose fault is it?" she flatly answered, just a little irritated that she wasn't getting what her lover had made her anticipate.

Luka's eyes were gleaming in a very naughty way. "I don't know...," she laughed playfully, sucking her dirty, moist finger as she held her stare.

Miku was displeased. "I think I remember a certain someone shoving her face between my legs."

She ran her fingers inside her thigh. "I wonder who?"

Miku was not amused. "…Luka."

The older woman looked up at her again. "…-Yes, darling?" she breathed out sexily.

"Get your tongue in there."

Luka's smile stretched from ear to ear. "Yes, darling…," she sweetly chanted before complying. She went right in, pushing her tongue inside her, and Miku twitched, her body remaining a bit tense. She shut her eyes and pushed with her hips, gripping the sheets under her with both hands. Luka vigorously pushed right back with her open mouth but played carefully and very skillfully at her entrance with her tongue. With each lick, each movement of Luka's tongue, Miku felt her body's temperature rise and her skin dampen quickly. It made her light-headed and weak. She puffed and panted already and whimpered when Luka moved up to suck on the small bulge. The young woman brought her hands to caress the pink hair and massage her head, writhing and arching her back.

"Luka...," she gasped, raising her upper body enough to look down at her. "…Y-your f-fingers...," she managed to plead.

The older woman shifted to bring a hand to hers, and as she continued sucking, flicking her tongue against her clit, she traced the contour of her entrance with one finger; she then very, very slowly sank it inside her. Immediately she felt her tighten, her finger being squeezed, and Miku shuddered and struggled. Her eyes rolled back and the teal haired young woman cried loudly. A little surprised, Luka waited for her to start to relax before she removed her finger or stopped her licking. She kept very close, resting her head on her pelvis until her lover had settled down completely. Then she glanced up at her. "…You came so fast...," she commented in a whisper, kissing up her stomach, pushing her shirt up a little more whenever she needed some more skin.

"I-it felt too…good...," she moaned, caressing her hair and shoulders. As Luka moved up, slowly crawling up on top of her, Miku felt her soft chest pressed between her legs, then a little up, under her hip area; she loved it.

"…But I'm not satisfied…" Luka breathed, poking her tongue in her bellybutton. "…I haven't had enough…I need to touch you more, or I won't be able to hold back tonight...," she added as she caressed her younger lover's thighs.

"We can't have that, now can we…?" Miku exhaled. "With Gumi-chan in our room…"

"Exactly." Luka kissed her way up again on her stomach, almost reaching her still covered, modest chest. "That's why I'm getting a dose now. I can never get enough, but this will help make the night bearable."

She chuckled, hugging her head gently. "You sound like a junkie."

She glanced up to meet her eyes. "I am. You're my drug."

A faint smile played on the young woman's lips. "I can relate. You have the same effect on me," Miku whispered, pulling her up to get a kiss.

She savored her lips lengthily, still massaging her thigh with one hand. She slowly moved it on the inside, and she pulled back from the kiss. "Are you ready for another round?"

Even having asked, she didn't leave her time to answer. Her lips were on hers and she already ran her fingers on her privates, then thrust two inside her. Miku clutched her tightly and moaned in her mouth, moving her hips right away. She curled her fingers inside and rested the palm of her hand against the rest of her privates. Luka then pushed with her own pelvis against the back of her hand, squeezing it between her and Miku. She moved her hips along with her hand, squeezing it completely between the two of them each time she thrust her fingers.

With the way her lover was stimulating her, the young woman felt she again wouldn't last long this time. The palm of her hand was providing a nice pressure on her clit, and because Luka used some of her body weight, her fingers went in a little deeper than they usually did. Moreover, the way Luka was also rocking her hips, writhing on top of her aroused her even more.

Every sound Miku made was subdued by her lover's mouth on hers and she hung onto the other woman like she wanted them to fuse into one single being. She wrapped her legs around her, feeling incredibly hot as she followed her movement. Luka released her mouth to suck on her earlobe, Miku's grip on her only got more desperate.

"Luka...," she whispered in a feverish, shaky voice. "I-I'm…I'm a-almost...-" she couldn't finish her sentence, as the other woman pulled her in a heated, hungry kiss.

Then, they heard a thud.  
Both froze completely for a second before, in perfect synch, they turned their heads to look over at the door. Sure enough, it was open. Gumi had dropped her soda can, which she thankfully hadn't opened.  
Luka awkwardly sat up, and Miku stumbled to pull the covers of the futon over her lower body. "G-Gumi-chan…er…W-w-we…uh…"

The short haired young woman seemed completely frozen. Her eyes were wide and her expression made it look like she couldn't seem to process the scene she had just walked into. It was much more heated than the kissing she had walked in on a little earlier, and the stunned embarrassment was preventing her from comprehension. Luka wiped her fingers and hand with tissues (in order to not look too crude or lewd to the intruder by licking them or wiping them on herself) and she handed Miku her shorts and underwear. This woke Gumi up, she hadn't noticed Miku was missing her bottom half in the few seconds it took before Luka was off of her and Miku was covered with her bed sheets. Her whole face turned an even brighter firetruck-red color. "…Oh my god…you were…"

"W-we were d-done!" Miku immediately exclaimed, even if it wasn't quite the case.

Gumi just stared back, completely in shock and incapable of moving.

Luka reached for her yukata and slipped it on. Her nightgown would have been fine given the fact that Gumi was a straight girl and they'd all be sleeping in the same room anyways, but with the state her body was in, she really didn't feel like parading around with her nipples very visibly poking through the silk of her garment. "I'll go wash my hands," she quietly said as she excused herself.

Vivid green eyes followed her silhouette until she was out of the room, then they were locked again on her friend's, who had managed to slip on her two bottom garments under the covers of her futon. She could feel her cheeks still burning, and she wouldn't have been surprised if her face was as red as Miku's presently was. The air couldn't be any heavier; they couldn't hold each other's stare long and broke eye contact simultaneously. Gumi wondered if she should go or not. But she didn't really have anywhere else to go, and she felt it might make Miku feel even worse if she just left. So she slid the shoji door shut behind her and awkwardly moved to sit on her own futon. She didn't know what to say. She couldn't get the image of what she had just seen out of her head, and the more she tried, the more it seemed to be burned into her mind.

Miku didn't know if she should be glad or not that her friend didn't run out. She wouldn't have wanted to irk her, but at the same time the atmosphere was so incredibly weird now, she didn't know what to say or do. Miku felt a little sweat roll down her back. She wondered if it was due to her previous activities or because she was just very anxious. She hoped she didn't look too flushed or turned on; Luka had already brought close to her second climax when Gumi had caught them. Miku felt her body torn between its previous arousal and the current cold shower she had just received. Her stomach stirred in uneasiness; she furtively glanced the green haired girl's way and caught her doing the same. They both looked away again.

Miku cursed the fact that she didn't stop Luka after she made her climax once. They knew they could get caught; they shouldn't have just gone on like they did.

Glancing once more at her friend, Gumi could see how terrible the other girl obviously felt. She decided that they needed to move on, and gathering herself, Gumi broke the very heavy silence. "…Sorry I interrupted?" she tried in a quiet, discomfited voice.

Miku almost jumped out of her skin hearing her voice and she turned to her swiftly. "N-no, _I'm_ sorry!" she exclaimed. "We were doing…that…w-when i-it's a room we all share...," she very awkwardly added. Her gaze dropped slightly for a second before she tried to meet Gumi's eyes again; she couldn't bring herself to. "I know you r-really didn't need to see...," she muttered, trailing off.

Miku was, in a sense, thankful Gumi hadn't come in ten minutes earlier than she did. With the way they were when Gumi walked in, it didn't seem like she really had _seen_ anything. It seemed like Gumi only understood what had been going on when Luka gave back her shorts. But had she walked in a few minutes prior to that, Gumi would have caught them as Luka was giving her oral. Now with _that_ the awkwardness would have skyrocketed to heights Miku didn't even want to try to imagine.

Gumi couldn't keep from replaying the event over and over in her head. They were so heatedly kissing when she walked in that she couldn't fathom what Miku said when she immediately shot 'We were done'. The raw passion of it was what had frozen Gumi in the first place. She couldn't help asking, "…Were you really done?"

Miku glanced her way shiftily. There was no point in lying; if Gumi asked it was because she already knew it wasn't true. "…N-no. We weren't quite…finished," Miku admitted in a quiet voice. "A-and now I'm still all-" she censored herself, realizing what she'd been about to say. Her eyes quickly met Gumi's once again and they both looked away in shame. "...Too much info, sorry," Miku mumbled.

Gumi decided not to tell her she already knew anyhow, because Miku really looked like she was all hot and bothered. Her skin was reddish, and looked slightly moist; her eyes were many shades darker because of her dilated pupils; her whole being felt restless. In this other silence, because of this, another question kept bothering Gumi. She mustered her courage and glanced at Miku again. "Can she really… …I mean…since originally you weren't into women, does Luka-san still…truly…satisfy you?"

She was surprised her friend would ask, but Miku didn't think twice about answering. "You have no idea. I never knew it could be this good," she exhaled, unable to block out of her mind what had just gone down. It had her body flare up again in an overpowering upsurge of desire. "When she goes down on me, my god, I couldn't-…" Miku stopped herself once more as she realized what she was saying and glanced at Gumi again. The short haired girl looked just about ready to die from embarrassment. Miku awkwardly averted her gaze for the seemingly millionth time in five minutes. "…Sorry. I…I got used to talking about…sex…these last months," she mumbled.

Interrupting the moment, there was a light knock on the door. Rin poked her head inside. "Sorry to intrude, but…Nee-chan is calling everyone to our room. I think she wants to stay up and play games," she simply said before she headed out.

Miku stared at the door in mild shock. She suddenly felt thankful Gumi had walked in when she did. Any earlier, the green haired girl would have seen worse, but had she not walked in at all, forcing a stop to their activities, then it would have been Rin that would have caught Luka and her going at it like minxes.

If the younger blonde girl had been the one catching Luka and her, everything probably would have went to hell for the rest of the trip. All things considered, maybe there was a god(dess) after all.

Gumi immediately stood. "…I'll go first, when Luka-san comes back…you can tell her we're waiting for you both," she said, thankful to have an excuse to flee this uncomfortable atmosphere. "…It'll also give you some time to settle down, you're still red and sweaty," she added, before exiting very quickly.

Miku massaged her temples. This embarrassing episode ought to trample their brazenness a bit. She didn't want a repeat of this anytime soon.

Only a minute or so later did Luka come back. She scanned the room in one swift gaze. "…Gumi-san has left?" she apprehensively asked; she really didn't want to create any more problems with Miku's friends.

Her lover smiled to reassure her. "Lily's waiting for all of us in the other room, I was waiting for you," Miku simply explained as she stood up. She walked closer to the other woman and took both her hands in hers. "…How are you feeling?" she whispered, playing idly with her long fingers.

"…I don't know how I'll hold up," Luka frankly answered.

Miku stopped fiddling around with the other woman's hands and stared at her wordlessly.

Luka could see how worked up her lover still was; moreover, just before Gumi interrupted, she clearly remembered Miku telling her she was about to cum. The younger woman had been cut off seconds away from release. Luka closed in slightly. "How about you…? How are you feeling?"

Miku searched her eyes. "…We can't sleep in the same futon; I'll go crazy...," she whispered.

"…" The pink haired woman sighed softly. "…I don't think it would have been a good idea to sleep together either way. And I think it'll ease Gumi-san a bit if we're not…together, in a futon, in the dark, next to her."

She gave a resigned sigh. "Yeah, you're right." Miku released her hands.

Luka closed in until only an inch separated their bodies. She caressed her cheek very tenderly and kissed the side of her head. "…But…I'll miss your arms...," she whispered in her ear.

Miku had closed her eyes. She pulled her into a longing embrace, melting against her. "So will I," she answered, her voice as soft. She felt her lover clutch her right back, and Miku pressed closer, burying her head in her chest. "I want my pillows." Her voice was muffled. Luka chuckled, but since Miku had been serious, she decided to punish the other's amusement by biting her breast lightly through the yukata and nightgown.

Luka was still smiling. "You'll make a drool stain," she simply said.

"hIdvntkffr, yrvff fonhoo lfooklkyu kmffst mmfm yurlmf "

She patted the teal hair unconcernedly. "What was that?"

Miku released her long enough to repeat in a comprehensible way. "I said, 'I don't care; you're the one who'll look like you can't drink stuff without staining yourself.' " She then bit right back again a little more strongly and this time around, she bit where she thought her nipple was. She hit right, and Luka groaned softly. They heard the door opening and they jumped apart once again.

Gumi didn't even blink this time. "I'm getting used to it, you can carry on," she said as she headed to fish her camera out of her bag.

Somehow, her saying this sounded worse to Miku. "Sorry."

She was about to exit, but Gumi turned to them again. She looked hesitant, but still decided to go ahead and ask. "You're not gonna…do it tonight, are you?" she uneasily inquired.

Miku's eyes bulged. "No!" she almost shouted. She took a hold of herself and nervously glanced at the pink haired woman before turning to her friend again. "We…Luka and I decided w-we would sleep separately to ease your mind. You can even take the futon in the middle…that way you'll know for sure…nothing's...," she coughed embarrassedly.

"…It's not that I don't trust you, but I…I'll take you up on that," she mumbled before she returned to the other room.

Miku and Luka glanced at each other before they followed her. Upon entering their group's other room, they both immediately noticed what Lily had brought along. A large, expensive-looking bottle of sake rested in the center of the low table.

"…Do you intend to get us drunk?" Luka very apprehensively asked.

"Naaah," the tall blonde inelegantly answered. "It's just to get us adults a bit tipsy," she unashamedly said as she popped the bottle open.

Luka had learned not to oppose the blonde whenever she had set her mind to something. It was too much trouble, and every time she had tried to oppose Lily, it had always proven itself to be pointless. At least her long-time friend didn't intend to have some underage drinking. The pink haired woman sighed in resignation.  
Lily poured three cups of sake. She handed one to Luka, who accepted it, kept one for herself and then offered the other to Gumi.

The young woman stared hesitantly at the drink presented to her. "…I'm eighteen, you know," she indicated, her green eyes meeting the amused pale blue ones.

The blonde kept holding out the cup for her. "Yeah, I know. It means you're legal in most countries," she cheekily shot back.

Gumi narrowed her eyes. This logic wasn't one she approved. "…Most, but not _this one_."

Lily still pushed it in her hand. "Come on, Luka and I can't drink all that by ourselves! She'll be piss drunk by the end of the night otherwise," she cheerily laughed.

The young woman glanced at the other adult of the group.

Luka shrugged. "I don't hold alcohol as well as she does…but I'm not fighting Lily," she simply stated before taking a seat.

Gumi still tried to return the glass.

Lily smiled. "I'll feed that to Miku and Miki if you won't take it," she warned.

She frowned a little indignantly. "They aren't legal in any part of the world," she pointed out.

The blonde's smile widened. "I'm an irresponsible adult and a largely appalling role model. I don't really care," she declared with the tone of her voice too proud for the announcement she'd just made.

There was a staredown between the two of them. But the icy blue of the taller woman's eyes proved to be too intimidating.

"Fine," Gumi groaned, breaking eye contact. She sat down with her cup in hand as everyone else took their place wherever they pleased.

"…Luka-san, I think you spilled some sake…" Len remarked as he took place next to her. She was his favorite artist after all.

Luka looked down at the stain on her chest. "No, it's Miku's drool. It'll dry within a few minutes," she much too casually answered. The woman then glanced her lover's way as she took a first sip of her drink.

Miku hid her blushing face in her hands. She guessed embarrassing her by telling everyone what it was was Luka's way of taking revenge on her for making that stain in the first place. The blonde boy stared at her friend in awe. He had known, everyone knew, but he'd only seen them hold hands-thus this was a reality check for him.

About at the same time, a light knock came from the door. As this room was theirs, the younger blonde girl diligently took the initiative to answer it, with the curious redhead in tow. Not too surprisingly, it was the inn's staff who came bearing gifts to the two stars in the form of a huge gift basket comprising various fruits and chocolate. As Miki accepted it on Miku and Luka's behalf, the two designed staff that had come to the door did their best to try and peek inside to get a glimpse of the two guests to whom their gift was primarily destined. The oblivious redhead simply gave a cheery thanks, promptly slid the door shut and trotted over to the group.

"They got you two a gift!" Miki declared as she dropped the thing on the table. "Seems to be fruits and chocolate," she stated the obvious as she started shuffling through it. Then she remembered she was supposed to ask first; Miki looked up at her best friend. "Can we have some?"

Miku motioned for her to continue what she had been doing. "Of course."

Luka picked a chocolate bar at random and absentmindedly read the label. "Anyone have nut allergies? Or other allergies, for that matter?" she asked, glancing around. Without stopping their activities, they all shook their heads to indicate a collective 'no.'

The teal haired young woman did turn to her lover. "I'm a bit lactose intolerant," she admitted. "But I'll still eat a bit of chocolate," she declared, snatching what Luka held. "A little won't hurt."

Luka let herself be stolen. "Lactose intolerant? That's good to know," she noted.

Rin swiftly turned to them. "You can't drink milk?"

Miku shook her head no. Though products made from milk weren't a problem as long as she was careful with quantities, an actual glass of milk was a problem. "Not without getting a horrendous stomach ache," she confirmed.

"Maybe that's why you have small breasts," Rin snorted.

Miku's nose flared. "You're no better!" she shot back a little angrily.

"I'm still young!" The short haired blonde declared before pointing her index in the direction of her older sister. "That's what I'm expecting to look like when I'll be twenty!" she proudly huffed, making Lily laugh and Miku a little bitter.

"Good luck," Lily addressed her younger sister in a bit of a derisive tone, and Rin stared back at her blankly. She didn't get why Lily didn't seem to believe she'd grow as much.

"…You can't really count on it," Len muttered under his breath.

"And why not?" Rin pursed her lips

"…'Cause…you know, nee-san didn't look like you do when she was our age. And Dad's short. Nee-san's father wasn't," he explained. Their mother was also of small stature and didn't have that much curves, so he assumed his oldest sister's body shape was due to her father's genetics. "Even I'll be lucky if I reach her height," he grumbled.

"By the time I was your age, I was about Gumi's height," Lily pointed out; which translated to, at fourteen, she was nearly five inches taller than the twins were. With Miku, Rin and Len's eyes now glaring at her, Lily felt the need to give them some form of hope. "But you know, Luka was even shorter than all you were. I swear, she looked like she was ten. So we never know, you might grow a lot too." The twins looked a bit relieved, and the tall blonde turned to meet teal eyes. "…Though it's too late for you," she patted Miku's head.

The young woman puffed her cheeks. "Who cares? Miki's still shorter than me!"

Said redhead turned to her, her mouth full of cherry-filled chocolate. "Buth I djon'th mindj," she smiled.

Before Miku was sent into a spiral of despair, Luka leaned over to her. "I love your height," she reminded her as she gave a very gentle kiss on her cheek. Miku swiftly decided to ignore everyone else. She took her hand in hers and brought it to her lips, answering her with an equally gentle kiss.

"Awww, how sickeningly sweet," Lily mocked.

"That wasn't necessary." Luka gave her a bit of a stern look, resting her sake cup on the table.

"But you two are such a treat to watch, you're so cute," she answered, grinning in a way her interlocutor didn't quite like.

"Please stop talking," the pink haired woman retorted in a much too kind voice.

The blonde seemed to get the message and tossed a fruit her way. Luka caught it with one hand, watching her in a suspicious way. Lily shrugged, still smiling. "Peace offering," she simply explained. "…'Cause you love peaches, don't you, Luka?" Lily shabbily asked.

She didn't like the look the other woman gave her one second. "…Yes. You know it's one of my favorite fruits, if not my favorite," she carefully answered.

"Of course it is," Lily nodded, obviously holding back on laughing.

Luka narrowed her eyes, she couldn't see what the blonde was getting at. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Their weird exchange had attracted everyone's attention, but that wouldn't stop her. "Well you loooove _tuna_. It makes sense," Lily simply said.

"What does this have to do with that…?" Luka prudently continued, now not so sure she truly wanted to know.

The blonde leaned back and finished her sake. She then rested her cup on the table. "Peach is to banana what fish is to sausage."

Silence. Needless to say, everyone got what she was talking about with the ever popular banana and sausage imagery.

And Luka did remember hearing some jokes with the fish portion, but peaches? "…What?" she muttered.

Lily's sleazy grin returned. "A peach has delicate and soft skin, and when you bite into it, lots of sweet and sticky juices smother all around your mouth. And peaches are juuuuiiicyyyy, so it drips and you really gotta lick to-"

"I get it, thank you," Luka sharply cut in, her cheeks burning. She stared at the fruit in her hand. Now, there was no way she could get herself to bite into it with everyone staring at her the way they were. Her features tensed and she raised a glare to meet the other woman's blue eyes. "Good God, Lily! Why do you just _have _to turn everything into-?"

"Funnier," Lily too easily answered, leaning in, "…Now let us see you take a good bite into that juicy peach," she cooed, glancing over at Miku.

The young woman squeezed her thighs together, blushing a bit too much.

Luka lost it. She threw the fruit at the blonde's head in an uncharacteristically violent reaction, but her target managed to catch the projectile.

Before things got out of hand, the commotion was interrupted by a high pitched "Oh!"  
Miki leaned over the table, her features illuminated as if she just understood something. "So does that mean Len-kun loves sausages too?" she asked the young boy.

He stared at her with wide eyes and his hung open mouth.

"…'Cause Len-kun's always eating bananas!" The redhead felt the further need to be precise. His face was so red, it looked like he was glowing, still incapable of reacting. He took the peach in Lily's hand and took a huge bite out of it.

"Pervert!" His twin smacked him over the head.

"Hey!" He wiped his mouth.

While everyone was distracted with their little bickering, Luka picked another peach from the fruit bowl. She observed it only for a few seconds before biting into it. Only Miku seemed to notice as she did so, and a shiver ran down her spine as the pink haired woman sucked faintly to prevent the fruit's juices from running down her fingers, unsuccessfully. She must have stared too intently because Luka seemed to come aware she was being observed. She met Miku's gaze with eyes gleaming of troublingly ferocious and undisclosed lust. She licked the fruit's juices off her fingers.

Miku shot up abruptly, everyone turned to her. "I…I-I uh…n-need to…b-bathroom," she stammered to excuse herself, before she quickly stumbled out of the room. When she got back, they had installed the karaoke machine and were looking through the song books. Miki was the fastest to pick one and Rin swiftly volunteered to sing with her.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Over an hour later, a slightly tipsy Gumi sang along with Len, who made very dramatic movements now and then to go along with their song. Gumi's camera somehow had found its way in Miki's hands, and the redhead seemed to be having the time of her life capturing the night's events in images while the four others were looking through the book's songs, enjoying food and drinks. Lily excused herself when her tobacco craving got too painful. She walked outside and inhaled a deep breath of fresh air before she lit up her cigarette. She sat on the engawa with her feet dangling in the air to observe the peaceful scenery of the garden. As she absentmindedly drew on the small hand-rolled tube, she could hear from there that Rin had somehow decided to replace her brother and was bellowing into the mic. Her light amusement was disrupted by the sound of the door sliding open behind her; she glanced back to meet turquoise orbs.

Luka walked up to her and gracefully sat beside her. "I needed some air," she explained. "The alcohol and noise are making my head spin a little."

Lily smiled slightly and gave a nod. She returned her gaze to the darkening scenery.

It took a minute or so before the pink haired woman broke the comfortable silence again. "Miku told me you were a great support when she started having feelings for me," she gently stated. "She said we probably wouldn't be where we are if you hadn't been there for her."

With a shrug, the blonde turned her head away from her to exhale some smoke. "I don't know, I just talked to her sometimes," she offered.

Luka's eyes were steadily observing her. "Don't blow it off. You can take credit." Her voice was still as gentle. Lily just shrugged again, smiling contently. Luka gave a small sigh, but couldn't help smiling in the same fashion as her longtime friend. "…In any case, thank you," she whispered.

The blonde stubbed out her legal drug. "No problem," she also murmured.

Luka's eyes drifted back to the scenery. The Japanese esthetic was something she had missed greatly when she'd been away, and the view of the beautifully coordinated garden took her breath away. Even in the dark, the serenity seemed to spread through to her being. It also seemed to affect Lily deeply as the whole air about her was different from anything she had experienced with her. As she reflected on this, it came to Luka that maybe it wasn't just the peacefulness of the place. She glanced the blonde's way again. "…I'm glad that you're finally happy," Luka stated a little out of the blue.

Lily also turned to her, she looked startled. "…Uh, yeah. Thanks," she ended up voicing a bit gauchely. Realizing her answer wasn't what she had wanted it to be, she scratched the back of her head. "…I don't think I've ever felt this good," she admitted, smiling. "I mean…you're the only other girl I really loved and I…you…you know. There always was this nagging…sting," Lily explained, not as clearly as she wanted. She supposed maybe the alcohol had affected her ability to express herself a bit more than she thought it would.

Luka understood what the blonde meant, and she had always felt a little guilty about this one-sided love. She still managed a smile. "I'm sorry," she murmured and pulled her into her arms. "You're such a good girl, you deserved much better than what I could offer you."

She didn't want things to go downhill or for Luka to feel bad; Lily had put all this behind her a long time ago, as she had learned to let go of her first love. So she decided to go for some playful teasing. "I know, right?" she grinned, patting her head. "You're not good enough for me. I should have been the one to dump you," she huffed.

The pink haired woman knew her taller friend was joking, but it still was a sensitive subject for her. She pulled her in a little closer. "I didn't mean to drop you like I did. Things happened," she murmured.

"A plane for Europe happened," Lily shot back as she released her. She turned back to the scenery of the garden too quickly to notice how much the other woman's features had darkened. "I would've jumped on the opportunity too, don't feel bad about it," Lily casually added, shrugging slightly.

"No," Luka firmly countered, drawing the clear blue eyes to herself again with her vehement reaction. "_Things happened_," she insisted.

Lily stiffened at once seeing the look she was giving her. As she scrutinized her friend's somber mask, her own expression slowly broke down into a very dreading one. She understood what Luka meant to tell her was that something serious had happened all those years ago. She then recalled a conversation she had with Miku; the young woman asked her what happened to Luka. Miku had added the pink haired woman had told her mother about her orientation. The blonde felt a lump in her throat and her stomach squeezed in worry. "…What?…What happened to you?" she whispered dreadfully.

Luka searched her eyes for a second. She didn't want to create turmoil, but she did want Lily to know. She broke eye contact. "…We'll take a moment at some point and I'll tell you…but now's not time for this," she said quietly.

She didn't need further explanation. Lily nodded. "…Okay." she watched as Luka turned once again to the view of the garden. It was getting a little chilly, but the blonde didn't mind. She didn't really know how long they spent in silence, but her eyes didn't leave the other woman's silhouette. Eventually, she just couldn't keep herself from asking at least this. "Why didn't you tell me back then?"

The pink haired woman's eyes dropped slightly. "…It happened too fast. I was distraught and lost. I thought it would only make matter worse if I went to you, and I…I thought…I could change. I could be _'normal_,'" she confessed. That last reason was why she had decided not to tell her father and tried having a man in her life after all. She turned to the taller woman. "Also I didn't even have time to think twice before my father had me join him in England." With a sigh, Luka reached out to comb the blonde bangs away from her features. Even if back then it was Lily who used to do this, it still felt so very nostalgic. "But…I…I never meant to hurt you like I know I did, I _really_ didn't mean to leave so abruptly," Luka explained even more gently. They were both too wrapped up in their conversation to notice the light noise the shoji door did as it slid open. "I know you truly loved me…and I really, truly felt for you. Despite everything, back then, you were my world. No one knew who I was except you, Lily," she whispered.

"…You two dated?" Gumi's voice interrupted as she overheard this last part. She wasn't drunk, but the alcohol clearly affected her enough for her not to understand this was a very intimate conversation, and that she probably -no, definitely- was butting in.

Lily was swiftly back to a very nonchalant composure as she glanced at the short haired intruder. "Yep. When we were still in high school." She brushed off her question, trying to move on to another topic. "You need us for something?"

She seemed to remember suddenly why she came. "Uh…yeah, both of you are requested inside for…various songs," Gumi's eyes followed the blonde as she started to stand. She hadn't known Lily knew Megurine Luka until this morning. She hadn't known Lily was gay until a few days ago. Gumi started to realize she didn't really know Lily at all. "…You're full of surprises." The short haired girl stated.

Lily grinned dusting herself. "You have no idea." Her eyes gleamed in a bit of an ominous way.

The short haired young woman blinked a few times. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The blonde extended her hand to help the pink haired woman up. "For one, -you're not supposed to know this- I also was with Meiko for a while," she casually said.

Gumi blinked a few times. She wondered for a short second if Lily meant what she thought she meant. But since they were talking about her being full of surprises, it probably meant as such what she thought it meant. "…You mean Sakine Meiko? The superstar?" She still confirmed.

"Yep." Lily helped Luka up.

"…But isn't she…like, straight?" she still argued.

The blonde glanced her way. "Not when I'm around," she amusedly answered. "Actually, no girl is straight when I'm around," Lily added very cheekily.

Gumi frowned and opened her mouth, but couldn't find a retort to offer. Somehow, she had no doubts a confident and absolutely gorgeous woman like Lily could get even straight girls in her bed when she pulled that flirtatious attitude. She couldn't even trust herself to react to Lily's advances like she knew she would had any other woman approached her this way.

"She's an alpha female, if you will," Luka sarcastically offered as she dusted herself.

Lily swiftly turned to her, eyes gleaming. "Wow, I like that," she hooted. "Do I get my own harem?"

Luka immediately regretted her words. "…Good Lord," she muttered, making her way back inside; she didn't want to have to deal with this.

The blonde turned to Gumi. "…I always thought you were really cute," she randomly declared.

Completely thrown off balance, she stared back blankly. She was faced with the question she had been asking herself a second ago, and she stepped back a little shakily until she was pretty much trapped against the thin shoji door. She found herself very aware of how close the other woman had gotten.

"…You're even cuter up close," Lily mused, looking quite cheeky.

Her cheeks burned, and her heart had accelerated. Gumi wondered what was wrong with herself; she pertinently knew she wasn't attracted to women, but there she was, getting all flustered. The blonde had incredible charisma, and something about her made Gumi feel very daring.  
"You're not bad yourself," she shot back before she knew it. She blamed this on being too proud to let Lily make her into an embarrassed puddle.

She was very surprised to be challenged by this young woman of all people, but Lily still smirked. "Are you coming onto me?" She moved an inch closer.

Gumi tried very, very hard not to break eye contact, even whilst feeling this intimidated by the icy blue. "Are you?" she whispered, a little more nervous than she would have liked.

She grinned wolfishly. "_I'm_ a dyke, so that'd be the normal for _me_." The blonde countered.

"…And what makes you think it's not normal for me?" Gumi found herself answering. Okay, maybe it her pride was getting in the way. Maybe it was the alcohol talking. It probably was, she decided.

Lily stared a short second and then laughed, taking a small step back. "Oh you're really, _really_ cute. Other circumstances, I would've been up for the challenge," she admitted as she motioned for the short haired girl to move back inside. "But I'm taken."

Gumi gave her a skeptical raise of an eyebrow. "Oh really?"

The blonde nodded, walking back inside with her. "Yep." Both noticed that it hadn't taken a second for Luka to comply with the requests, as she already was thrown into a song with Len. He fiercely protected his mic from being stolen by his twin; there was no way he'd pass up a duet with the pink haired diva.

"I wonder what kind of woman could have an _alpha female_ on a leash," Gumi mused sardonically as they sat back down.

With ironically great timing, Miki attached herself to the blonde. "What are you talking about?" she questioned, munching on some chocolate.

Lily gently ran her fingers in the red hair. "We're talking about you, love," she casually admitted, eying Gumi very amusingly.

The green haired girl rolled her eyes.

Miki didn't seem to notice. "What were you saying about me?"

She twirled the weird ahoge around her finger. "That you put me on a leash," Lily replied in a contemplative tone.

The redhead looked a little indignant. "That would be mean. I'm not a mean person," she stated.

Lily laughed, releasing her question mark lock. "Not literally. Figuratively. It means I'm not gonna go look elsewhere," she explained.

"Like sleeping with other women?" Miki popped another chocolate in her mouth.

"Yeah, that."

Tightening her grip on her, she plunged her deep red eyes in the pale blue, her face no more than an inch away from hers. "If you do, I won't forgive you, you know?"

"I know," she whispered, cupping her cheek gently for a second before making her release her. They had decided not to tell the twins this weekend after all, and she didn't want Miki to kiss her with everyone else around. Miki sat back in a more normal fashion and Lily turned to Gumi again, whose expression had done a complete one-eighty; she stared at them with very wide eyes.

"I'm full of surprises, aren't I, love?" Lily's grin returned.

Gumi shook her head in a faint movement. "Wait, h-how long have you two…?" she muttered, unbelieving.

The blonde shrugged. "A few weeks."

The green haired girl closed in. "You're gay, Miki-chan?" she asked in a whisper.

"…I don't know. Does it matter?" Miki plainly answered. "Lily's my husband. When I'm twenty-two, we're gonna make babies."

Before Gumi could answer, Lily cut in. "You've got it scheduled already?" She pursed her lips. Well. At least, six years from now did sound somewhat in the realm of reason.

The redhead poked the side of her lover's head. "You have to take responsibility when you get me pregnant."

The tall woman nodded solemnly. "Of course I will," she said.

Gumi couldn't decide what she thought of the news. Was this what Lily meant a few minutes earlier when she said that no girl was straight around her? Maybe it was better to just give up and simply accept pretty much every fact her friends would throw at her starting from now.

In any case, this conversation ended abruptly with Lily being dragged up to sing with her sister. The karaoke part of the evening went on for another half hour, with various combinations of people singing a variety of songs, ranging from enka to hard rock.

It was a slightly warmed up, but not quite tipsy Luka who brought them all back down to earth. "It's getting late, maybe we should quiet down…otherwise we might disturb the neighboring rooms," she eventually said to call their activities to a stop.

With little to no resistance, the karaoke machine was turned off in a matter of minutes. This is when Lily decided to suggest what she had planned to be this evening's pièce de resistance. "Let's play a game, then. I know a very entertaining one," she proposed as she filled Gumi's, Luka's and then her own cup. "It's called the King's game. The rules are very easy," she smoothly introduced it. "Who knows how to play?"

Luka alone raised her hand. It became obvious that it was a game she and Lily had been playing in high school.

Miku pursed her lips and turned to the blonde. "So what is it?"

"There's seven of us, so on seven chopsticks," she unwrapped disposable chopsticks as she talked "I'll write numbers one to six. The seventh chopstick is the King," she explained as she used a marker to identify each stick. Then she picked them up and showed her work to the others. "Everyone picks one at random and the lucky one who gets to be the King is the only one who'll unveil themselves. The King will give out orders –can be truths or dares- to the numbers without knowing who's who." With this, Lily held out the chopsticks by the marked end, inviting everyone to take one.  
When everyone had one, she resumed. "The King can't name anyone, but if they want to make it a dare involving several people they can. And remember, numbers should unveil themselves only when the whole order has been given out. Otherwise if the King knows who they're ordering around, they can change their dare accordingly," she finished.

The first one to talk was Gumi and, against all expectations, she commented, "Sounds fun." Her cheeks were slightly red from the alcohol.

It was then that Miku understood why Lily had Luka and Gumi drink. With the buzz they now had, both the usually most reasonable people were game to play. Lily had wanted to loosen them and have fun.  
"So who's the king?" Miku asked, glancing around.

Len raised his hand. "I am!" He proudly declared, giving a look around the room. The fun part was that all the other players were female. "…Either questions, or dares…" He thought out loud. The not-so-fun part was that two of them were his sisters, and he didn't want to involve them in weird stuff. He sighed, opting to stay reasonable. "Alright so-…number two, you gotta…wear your pajama backwards for the rest of the evening," he began.

Rin then handed her twin the chopstick marked with the number he had just voiced. "…I'll go change in the bathroom," she plainly said. She thought it was a little stupid, but she knew she could have been much worse off. They waited for her to come back before they resumed the game.

Len had had enough time to pick the next order and swiftly went on. "Number five. Go buy me a juice in the vending machine."

"_Really_?" Lily said as she unveiled her number. "That's what you choose to do with your power?" she commented before she disappeared for a minute. She came back with a juice box and tossed it his way as she flopped back down.

The blond boy stuck the straw in it. "I like that game," he laughed. "Let's see…"  
Len looked around the room again. The two blonde girls, _amazingly_, were out of the way. And Lily had even complained about him being boring. So Len decided that this was his luck _and_ a sign from some higher power that he was allowed to give a bit of a spicier command. "Number one, make out with the player on your right's bellybutton," he finally said.

She hung her head and rested her marked chopstick on the table. "…Sorry, Gumi-san," Luka whispered as she turned to her. "You'll have to bear with me," she added as she slowly bent in front of her.

Seeing her approach had Gumi freeze completely. Luka, in alcohol-induced audacity, took the initiative to undo the yukata and pull up the shirt she wore underneath it enough to uncover her stomach much too insouciantly. Since they were sitting, Luka had to basically lie to be able to bring her lips to her stomach. She made herself comfortable in her lap.

Gumi realized she felt her breasts squeezed on her thighs as she did so. She caught herself thinking '…_so that's how Miku switched teams_,' and tried to give herself a huge mental slap, both for having thought this and to shake herself out of it (which she was terribly unsuccessful at).

Especially now that the other woman's lips met her skin, and that she gently kissed her stomach with an open mouth. Gumi couldn't help recalling what Miku said a little earlier about loving how the pink haired woman went down on her. Gumi decided she blamed the alcohol for focusing on this, because she now was completely incapable of shaking the image out of her head. And she especially blamed the alcohol for imagining what it'd feel like if she wasn't kissing her stomach, but somewhere a little lower. Feeling her tongue poke in her bellybutton was only making matters worse. Gumi couldn't completely repress the pleased noise that threatened to come out much more loudly. She started losing herself in the incredibly nice sensation.

"Looks fun!" Miki chirped next to her, completely tearing the green haired girl out of her stupor.

This managed to slap her back to reality, and realizing what was happening, Gumi's mind completely turned to someone else. She nervously met her friend's teal eyes; Miku was watching in seething, barely controlled rage, as she had expected. Gumi put her hands on the pink head of hair. She shakily, but gently tried to push her away because she didn't trust herself to voice anything right now; she was scared a pleasured sound would come out instead.

However, with her not-so-clear mind, due to both the alcohol and her hormones running like they were, Luka had forgotten just who she was latched at, and also that many others were around. She pressed her mouth closer as one of her hands caressed her hip. Her lips searched her skin and a second later, her tongue followed the edge of her bottom garment.

'_Holy Mother of God, she's-,_' Gumi shut her eyes tightly, her hands were shaking. "L-Luka-san…," she breathed.

It didn't shake Luka out of it, and Miku finally lost it. "Enough already!" she protested as she swiftly caught Luka's arm, forcing her to sit up and successfully tearing her off Gumi.

Luka turned to her and blinked several times. Then she glanced around to notice how stunned the rest of the group was. Then she glanced at Gumi, who was holding down her shirt over her now covered again stomach. "…Ah...," she felt her cheeks redden. "S-sorry. Th-the…alcohol…probably…I'm…mm...," she trailed off embarrassedly.

Lily snorted and started to laugh. Miku instantly threw the chopstick Luka had rested on the table at the blonde head, having it bounce off it. It instantly silenced her and the teal haired young woman turned a glare in Len's direction. "Next order," she dryly demanded to get everyone to move on to other things.

The boy coughed and, under his friend's very displeased stare, decided he would play a little safer this time around. "Number six. What's the most embarrassing moment of your life?" he asked, trying to divert Miku's attention to something else.

"What just happened," Gumi instantly answered, letting everyone know along the way who number six was.

"Besides that," he shot back. It really was too easy an answer and he didn't want to dwell on it. Miku's glare was still burning the back of his head.

The green haired girl shrank back a second, not very fond of the idea of having to screen through her most embarrassing moments to select and retell the one she'd deem to be the worst. But she only could think of one other thing beside what had just happened, and she blamed what had just happened, and the alcohol, and her (very faint!) state of arousal. Her gaze drifted to the ground. "…Probably catching these two…err…while…they…well," she muttered, motioning in Miku and Luka's general direction.

"What!" Lily burst out laughing again. "More details! And why didn't I hear that story yet?"

"…Because it just happened a little earlier," Gumi explained even more quietly.

There was a short silence in which most people turned to the pair of lovers. The tall blonde broke this silence as she started laughing even harder, Miki joined in, Rin grimaced slightly and Len's face was as red as Gumi's.

"Christ, you two really can't keep it in your pants, can you?" Lily managed.

Miku felt her cheeks burn like never before. "What _'it'_?" she snapped, being still a little irritated by the dare Luka had complied to.

Lily rolled her eyes, still grinning. "So to speak."

The young woman huffed defensively, crossing her arms. "We're not th-that bad! I-i-it's not like we-"

"Don't even try to deny it," Lily cut in, having recovered by then. She then swiftly leaned closer so only Miku could hear her: "_You_, love, are so noisy I know every time Luka's over. And you gals are always at it, I don't know how Miki sleeps through it," she affirmed, letting the young woman understand with this that she heard their nightly prowess.

Miku's gaze drifted to the ground and she fell silent. Luka busied herself pouring some more sake for herself, Gumi and Lily in an effort to distract herself and move to other things.

The rest of them thankfully didn't hear the blonde's revelation and it was an impatient Miki who had them return to the game. "Next one!" she eagerly called. "I want to know what I'll get!"

Len glanced between the redhead and her best friend. They were the only two remaining and if he had one act, he'd get to order the other one knowingly. But that wasn't part of the game, so he decided to give out both at the same time. "Number three, uh…you get to drink that." He pointed the newly-refilled glass in his oldest sister's hand. "And number four add 'in bed' at the end of all your sentences for the next hour."

"You gotta be kidding me," Miku grumbled as she took the newly-refilled glass from Lily's hand.

"But what if I don't talk a lot?" Miki inquired, successfully attracting the attention to herself, and preventing anyone from noticing Miku's action. The young woman thought it would be a good idea to down in one shot the whole glass of not-so-light alcohol, an effort not to taste the bitterness of it.

Len shrugged. "…Just add 'in bed' to the sentence."

The redhead nodded contently. "Okay, I don't mind doing it in bed."

This made Lily chuckle again, not very surprisingly, considering how eminent her lack of maturity was. It was a surprise, though, that both Gumi and Luka crackled with her.

"How can you say that so casually? Do you have any idea how it sounds?" Rin questioned, a weirded out expression on her face.

"I really don't mind 'cause I could have been really worse off in bed." Miki smiled. "I don't have to do anything else in bed. It's not like Len-kun had me do something weird in bed," she explained, not realizing that she was phrasing her sentences to sound worse and worse with her dare. If she was doing it on purpose, her innocent expression completely sold her guiltlessness to the others.

By then the blonde girl didn't want to hear more, and just stared at her. "…Stop talking."

"Let's have a second round," Miku declared. "I want to be the King at least once!" she added, her chest puffed slightly.

Since everyone agreed, Lily gathered the chopsticks again, and held them out to be picked. Once they all had one, Miki beamed as she showed everyone what was written on her chopstick. "I'm the king in bed!" she declared.

"I'd say you're more of a princess in bed," Lily corrected, snorting. Her comment thankfully didn't awaken either of the twin's suspicions. Before Miki got to answer something that could truly risk outting them, she continued: "So as royalty, what's your first order?"

"Hum." Miki crossed her arms, thinking up what she could ask of her friends. She surveyed every one of them as she considered her options. "Are there rules of things I can't ask in bed?" she inquired.

Miku laughed a little louder than she should have. "Rules? With Lily? You know she-"

"Hey!" The tall blonde cut in, seeing that the young woman didn't seem quite herself. She decided to redirect what Miku was about to say. "Even if it's my game, there's some common sense to be considered."

Miku just started crackling, earning herself unsure looks from most people.

"Okay I picked one!" Miki suddenly beamed. "Number one, do your best impression of the person on your right in bed!"

The teal haired young woman had somewhat recovered, and in an uncertain motion, she handed her chopstick to her friend. She then looked over at Luka, who sat on her right. "…My best impression of Luka...," she scratched her head, grinning sleazily. "…In bed?"

Every single person in the room instantly came to the realization that Miku was drunk from drinking Lily's glass in one gulp.

Miku was smiling contently. "Mmm~ F-faster, Miku~" she moaned softly, trying to make her voice sound as close to the pink haired woman's as she could. She was managing quite well. "You taste so good, you-"

"Stop!" Luka slapped both of her hands on the younger woman's mouth, her whole face had turned bright red. "The 'in bed' part is not part of the dare!" she dismally blurted. "I-i-it was just meant to be a regular impression, right Miki-chan?"

The redhead stared blankly; it was impossible to tell if she had caused this willingly or not.

Luka was very self-conscious of how all eyes were on her and Miku. She felt cold sweat at her back, and her face grew even hotter. She knew if she wanted to be able to proceed and for time to continue, she needed to release her lover. Very slowly, she removed her hands from the young woman's mouth.

Miku moaned again: "Mmph."

Luka's hand was instantly slapped back there. "Would you stop it?" she cried out, her face very red. She might have been glaring, because she watched Miku's eyes water up slightly at her outburst. The young woman still gave a reluctant nod, so Luka hesitantly removed her hands again.

Miku sniffed. "…Hug meeeee...," she pitifully requested, seemingly very hurt.

Luka knew the young woman's actions and emotional reactions were mostly due to alcohol. As such she couldn't help feeling bad for having reacted so harshly, and she dragged her into her arms sighing. Miku completely melted into her, and the pink haired woman glanced around at their friends. "Sorry, I think she's dru-" She abruptly stopped, feeling breath knocked out of her as she was squeezed hard in her lover's arms.

"Mine, mine, mine!" Her voice was muffled by the flesh of the other woman's chest, as she had buried her face deep in it.

"…You were about to say…drunk?" Gumi suggested, looking on a bit impassively. She truly had gotten used to it by now.

"Hah!" Miku proudly hiccuped as she suddenly released Luka. "T-that's what you think!" she stood abruptly, feeling the need to prove something, but didn't get the chance to as she immediately fell back on her ass. She glared indignantly at the ground. "…S-stop moving, you!"

Worriedly, Luka turned to the blonde. "What were you feeding us, Lily? She only drank one glass and she's…!"

The tall woman nonchalantly picked the bottle up and read the percentage of alcohol written on the label. "Nineteen dot three percent, it's kinda strong," she amusedly stated. "One glass's still a lot since she's not used to it, and for a lightweight…she drank it way too fast."

Interrupting them, Miki grabbed the bottle. "I want some too in bed!" she excitedly exclaimed.

Before she could get a taste though, Luka managed to snatch it from her. "No," she plainly signified.

The redhead pouted. She glanced over at her lover, then at the pink haired woman again. "It's not fair, Miku's looking like she's having so much fun in bed!" she whined.

Miku was lying down by then and she rolled on her side, smiling beatifically. "I'm having s-so much fun IN BED!" she repeated, laughing.

Luka handed Rin the bottle as she approached the teal haired young woman. "…Miku, you're drunk...," she started, intending to try and reason her into drinking water and trying to stay quiet.

"D-do you wanna have f-fun in bed w-with me?" Miku mumbled in response, lifting Luka's yukata to look under it.

Her cheeks a light pink, she tugged on her clothing to make Miku release it. "Another day," she answered before realizing she would embarrass herself answering this with everyone else around. She blushed a darker color again. This wasn't her day.

Her mood shifted yet again, and Miku teared up. "B-but earlier y-you didn't mind going dow-"

"Stop! Miku!" Luka censored her.

While the both of them were on the verge of a small crisis and Rin tried to fend off Miki from getting to the alcohol, Lily turned an interested stare at Gumi. "Say, what did you see earlier?" This question successfully attracted Len's attention away from Miku's teary whimpering about 'wanting some now.'

"N-nothing much, they were lying down and kissing…_passionately_, but I only saw they were kissing," Gumi found herself answering in spite of herself. She met two pairs of exactly identical sky blue eyes staring at her.  
Uncomfortably, she proceeded in giving the rest of the information. "I understood that that Luka-san had been…er…doing...," she made a loose fist with one hand and then inserted two fingers of her other hand inside the 'o' of her thumb and index. "…To Miku-chan when she wiped her fingers after getting off her."

Len bolted towards the tissue box to save the tatamis from his bloody nose.

Lily laughed heartily. "Oh, Luka's pretty good with that. She could get me off so fast we'd easily do it at school without getting caught," she merrily explained.

Gumi stared back at her blankly, holding her breath.

The blonde seemed to think it her cue to give out as much details as she could: "Trick is, you have to reach until you can feel a different texture on the front wall, then you curl your fingers and-"

"Stop!"The short haired girl exclaimed. "I don't need to know!"

Lily frowned. "…Of course you do. It feels freakishly good, and you can still use it on yourself," she offered as she took one of her hand in hers. "So now, as I was saying, you curl your fingers this way," she placed fingers painted in green nail polish the way she wanted. "And then you caress with this part," she touched the flat part of the inside of her finger, on the last phalange. "And then you…"

Gumi zoned out. She couldn't believe Lily was teaching her ways to masturbate.

"Help!" Luka finally cried, attracting the rest of the group's attention as she tried weakly to fend Miku off.

She had managed to bring her lover down. "…C-come on…_darling_…let me...," she grunted, being removed once again from on top of her. "…I-it's a-about time I…give back…!" she said much too loudly, plunging her head inside her yukata, between her legs. Luka once again managed to get her off.

"About time in bed?" Miki repeated, watching her curiously. "You haven't touched her yet in bed?"

Miku looked dazed and confused as her attention was turned to her best friend for a second. "No, I touch h-her _all the time_!" she declared. "It's j-just th-that…she was on her period this week, r-remember? So I c-…couldn't stick my finge-"

"Miku!" Luka interrupted, the pitch of her voice several notches higher. "And you don't have to let everyone know my cycle!"

The young woman simply latched herself at her again, pulling on her yukata to tear it off her body. "P-periods are a natural thing, d-don't…ghn…be…ashamed," she groaned, managing to sneak her hand under her clothes. "Th-this is a-also a…natural thing," she continued, trying with the little strength she had to force her on her back again. "…So let me-…le-let me…uh...," she stopped moving, staring back at the very unsure teal eyes of the woman who tried to fend her off. "…I need to lie down," Miku weakly said, feeling her head spinning. She lost track of the rest of the evening from there.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

When she woke up the next morning, Gumi rolled over facing what should have been Miku's futon. 'Should have,' because it was empty and left untouched. It took a few seconds for her to place her ideas, and she instantly understood that the two lovebirds had ended up sleeping together. She hoped they had just been sleeping. She now dreaded turning around to face Luka's futon, which probably sheltered two persons. All sorts of scenarios went on in her head for the few minutes it took her to gather the courage to turn around.

She went to sleep before her two roommates because the chaos and alcohol of the last night had tired her incredibly. She wondered if they'd done it while she was asleep. She thanked the alcohol for allowing her not to wake up during their lovemaking if it was the case.  
She wondered why in god's name she didn't stay in the other room. She wondered what to do if they were naked. She wondered if she should maybe pretend to be asleep until they woke up and made themselves appropriate. Gumi eventually shook herself out of it; Miku had promised they wouldn't. She believed in her friend. So she sat up and in an almost robotic movement, she tentatively glanced at Luka's futon; she let out a huge sigh of relief.

They were both completely dressed and sleeping seemingly very peacefully, spooning. And against what Gumi would have thought, the teal haired young woman was the one holding her lover from behind. Her forehead rested between the other woman's shoulder blades, completely concealing her face.

"…How cute," the short haired girl murmured to herself, a light smile on her lips. She stretched herself for a second before she stumbled out of her futon. She picked up her camera and took a picture of them. She then decided to take a look in the other room, and she trotted out to get a picture of everyone as they were sleeping. As she made her way back to her futon, she noticed the sheer number of pictures they had taken the previous night. Gumi flopped down on her bedding as she started going through the previous night's pictures.  
A lot were blurry, a lot were chaotic, and she slowly realized she didn't even remember half of what had went on. With this, she was very thankful not to be hungover.

She heard some stirring next to her and glanced at the two sleeping forms. The older woman was slowly, sleepily rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, but she otherwise hadn't bulged. Luka blinked a few times, then closed her eyes again, probably due to the light the sun let in. Just to make sure, Gumi asked, "…You're awake, Luka-san?"

She cracked her eyes open again. "Yes...," she managed to answer as she stifled a yawn.

"Should I let you sleep more?" Gumi courteously asked.

She shook her head faintly. "I didn't intend on going back to sleep," Luka answered softly.

Gumi noted that her voice sounded a little husky, probably due to a mix of the last evening's partying and the sleepiness. It nevertheless didn't take away from how exquisite her voice sounded. She brushed the thought away swiftly. "Have you slept well?"

"I have, thank you. And you?" she answered in a whisper, not wanting to disturb her lover.

"Like a rock…thanks to the alcohol, I think," Gumi said, a light smile on her features.

The previous evening came back to her at once, and Luka brought a hand to her face. "…Oh, yes...," she sighed. Absentmindedly, she opened her mouth slightly and clicked her tongue: "That would be why mouth is so dry."

"I can grab you some water," Gumi offered.

Luka shook her head no. "Thank you, I will get some myself when Miku wakes up," she pointed at the thing latched to her back. "I don't want to disturb her sleep."

The short haired girl smiled gently. "…You're too sweet."

"She is, isn't she?" Miku's muffled, sleepy voice unexpectedly came from behind the other woman.

Luka smiled as she turned slightly. "Good morning."

"…'Mornin...," she yawned as she climbed on top. "…My head hurts, I wanna sleep more," she declared as she shoved her face in the other woman's chest.

"Don't do that…not when there are other people…" Luka breathed embarrassedly, meeting vivid green eyes in a fleeting glance.

"It's just Gumi," Miku's muffled voice commented.

"Geez, thanks," Gumi dryly answered.

Miku's head shot up from her lover's chest. "That's not what I meant!" she protested, meeting her friend's stare. "I meant you've… …well you've seen worse, and you've seen me do that several times already. And like…you won't get offended," she awkwardly explained.

As she truly wasn't getting offended or even embarrassed, she sighed. "…I guess," she admitted.

Miku smiled and resumed her activities; she rubbed her cheek in her breasts again and sighed contently. "That–with you being a straight woman—is a pleasure you'll never know my dear friend," she commented and shoved it back in. "I feel sorry for you."

Gumi pursed her lips. "Even if I was into women, I might land a girlfriend like you. And then I still wouldn't get to experience that," she pointed out.

Luka couldn't completely stifle her laugh, and Miku's head suddenly came out of her chest again to throw her friend a look. Gumi decided that retreat was her best option right now, and she stumbled up, trying not to laugh. "…I'll check on the others. See who's awake," she tried to keep a straight face as she exited.

Miku turned her disapproving glare to her lover. "Thanks, you're helping a lot."

The woman was still grinning ear to ear despite herself. "You have to admit her comeback was...," she trailed off, seeing the young woman truly didn't think it was funny. "…Miku, you know I wouldn't change you, especially not that," she kissed her cheek.

Miku simply grumbled something and retreated back under the bed covers.

"…" Luka watched the lump for a few seconds before she decided to become part of it. She joined the younger woman under the covers. "…Miku, I adore your body exactly the way it is," she whispered, wrapping both arms around her waist. "I wouldn't even change a single hair off your head," she whispered as she pressed her cheek to her back.

She sighed and turned in her arms to hug her back. "I know," she murmured, "…It's just…it's…I've always wished I had more…so it still stings…"

As Miku had turned around to return her embrace, Luka's head on her back now rested on her torso. She slowly pushed her shirt up to see her naked breasts again. "I wouldn't even add one inch," she whispered. "I think you're perfect," she added before sticking her mouth to one of the pink tips.

She hugged her closer and hummed softly. "Don't do that…" She still ran her fingers in the pink hair, gently massaging her scalp. Luka sucked a little more strongly and she brought their bodies together completely. Miku had the feeling they were merging together; she immediately noticed the distinct heat start to flare down in her lower stomach. She kissed the top of her head. "…Luka, you're really starting to get me-…-ahnn~"

The pink haired woman released her breast and gave a lick on her now erect nipple. "You're so adorable…When you make noises like this, I just want to…." Without finishing her sentence, she stuck her mouth to her other breast.

Miku whimpered in response and she realized she was truly considering letting her have her way, even knowing how completely unreasonable it was. But she didn't have much time to reflect on it.

The covers of the bed were pulled up, uncovering both of their silhouettes. "Rise and shine, lovebirds! We're all-" Lily stared for a short second before letting the covers fall back on their frozen forms. "…_Now_ I get why Gumi asked me to get you," she said. They couldn't see her because they were back in their bed covers cocoon, but her voice gave away her amusement. "Breakfast is served," Lily added.

Miku brought both hands to her face in desperation as the pink haired woman replaced her shirt for her. "…We'll be there in a minute, okay?" she mumbled.

"Don't take too much time," the blonde simply said, not without chuckling, before she left.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

When they joined the rest of the group, everyone was seated and ready to eat. Trays were laid out at each seat with several plates resting on them. Miso soup, broiled fish, cold tofu, tsukemono, rice and several other delicacies were served in individual portions for everyone. Miku and Luka sat on one side of the table with Miki, while facing them were Gumi, Lily and Rin; Len sat at the end of the table, with Miku on one side and Gumi on the other. Seeing that Miku still looked a bit annoyed as she sat in front of her, Gumi decided act busy until she was back to herself. She leaned over slightly on her right to look at Lily's menu as her teal-haired friend sat in front of her. "Why aren't you eating the same thing as all of us?"

She picked up an umeboshi with her chopsticks. "Seafood allergy, so I get a special menu," Lily casually answered before stuffing it in her mouth. "I jusht gotta warn plashes I go, it'sh never been a problem," she explained as she munched on it.

"It was a problem for me back then," Luka muttered under her breath. The tall blonde gave her a disapproving look and the diva looked offended. "I stopped eating shrimp, oysters and squid for two years because I was afraid for you! Do you know how hard it was for me to hold back?" she shot before Lily could say anything.

"Wow, _sorry_," she commented, sarcasm dripping from her voice. Lily proceeded in making a scene of pretending to be offended, successfully ticking off Luka and creating somewhat of a tumult. Miki very merrily laughed while Rin tried to get her older sister to calm down. It wasn't very surprising that Gumi wasn't taking part of this, but Miku found it odd that the boy was simply distractedly eating his food.

She bent a little closer to him. "Did you sleep well?" she inquired.

He glanced up at her and then down at his food again picking at it. "Oh, uh- yeah but I…I-I had the weirdest dream. Just couldn't really sleep afterwards," he admitted, giving a weird chuckle.

Her eyebrows went up slightly. "What was it?"

Len moved his hand to the back of his hand and scratched thoughtfully. "Uh…'twas probably 'cause both you and nee-san came out recently, so I think it's weighing a bit on me…and I uh…," he sighed and met her eyes, smiling, "…You'll laugh, but I dreamt nee-san and Miki-chan were kinda making out."

Miku's expression fell. She couldn't bring herself to answer anything.

Len frowned lightly. This wasn't the reaction he had expected.

She slowly brought her hand to her face in a movement of discouragement. They were the ones who had betrayed themselves; it was out of her hands now. "…They probably were, actually," she finally admitted. She didn't watch her friend's reaction as she continued. "…It wasn't a dream. They've been dating, and…it's gotten more serious lately."

He stared at her in silence for a second before losing it. "Four! Four outta six!" He bellowed too loudly, attracting everyone's attention to himself. He motioned for them to return to their activities before he closed in to whisper to Miku. "Is Miki-chan gay?"

Miku sighed. "...I don't know," she admitted.

"…Four out of six," he repeated again, unbelieving. With two third of the group of girls he was with turning out with some interest in the same sex, they really were beating the odds. Len shook his head. "We can't tell Rin, she'll say it's contagious," he added.

The teal haired young woman didn't know if he was joking or not, but this statement surely held some truth. She pursed her lips, considering the fact that it could really be the outcome, and noticed Gumi was listening in.

"You're underestimating Rin-chan," she simply said, her green orbs going from pale blue to teal. "She's slowly being more mature about it."

Miku smiled. "Yeah, I guess."

Len kept staring at Gumi. "By the way, until you prove me wrong, you're also gay. So is Rin," he declared. "It'll be less of a shock to think you've all got the hots for other women, and then you get a boyfriend than the other way around."

Gumi groaned, massaging her temple in aggravation. "…Your sister'll rip your head off if she ever knows you said something like that."

His eyes were just a bit rounder. "…You're not denying," Len noted.

"If I denied, you'd say it's suspicious that I'm denying, so I'm not even gonna make the effort," she pointed out, resuming eating her breakfast. "…I don't even know what kind of man I'm looking for, so I wouldn't even know where to start with a woman," she then commented, not really expecting an answer.

"Someone like Luka-san," the blond boy offered.

Miku spat her soup back into her bowl and pointed an angry finger at Len, then at Gumi. "Don't even think about making mental pictures!"

But of course, if someone tells you not to think of something, you definitely will think of it. Gumi started chocking on her rice, coughing loudly. "Too late," she wheezed, her cheeks a very deep shade of red. She didn't dare meet Miku's eyes, knowing the both of them were recalling Luka's dare of the previous evening.

Miku bent over the table to look at her more closely. "Don't think about Luka naked!" she demanded.

Gumi hadn't been, but now she was. "Would you stop it!" she cried. By then, the other half of the table had calmed down and that last outburst of hers attracted their attention. Gumi started eating again. "A-anyways, if I were into women, I don't think she would be my type," she said more quietly.

"Luka-san is everyone's type," Len professed loudly in his never-ending admiration for the pink haired diva, letting those who hadn't participated in this conversation catch up slightly with it.

Since she couldn't understand how someone ever could not be in love with her woman, Miku would have agreed. If it wasn't for the fact that she didn't quite approve of others entertaining these cravings about her partner. "Shut up, you," she glared slightly at him.

"…Gumi-chan always ends up liking the bad boy in dramas and movies," Miki chipped in.

Somehow, most of them then felt the need to glance at Lily.

When most eyes returned to her, the short green haired girl froze completely, and the tall blonde thought this was too much of a golden opportunity to pass up. "Are you into bad girls too, Gumi-chaaan?" she grinned sleazily, leaning closer. "You know, I'm building my harem," she said, reminding her of the short, daring exchange they had the previous night.

Gumi scooted away from the big bad wolf. "Stop it," she weakly protested.

Lily was about to move a little closer, just to make her even more uncomfortable, but felt a foot hit her shin. She managed to hold in her 'oww'. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a very obnoxious red lock of hair bouncing around unhappily.

**- Continued in chapter 18**

**No pics this time around, sorry!**


End file.
